Africa's only nuclear power plant is producing half its 2016 peak

  • South Africa’s Koeberg has been Africa’s only commercial nuclear power station since 1984.
  • Africa produced just 7.8 TWh of nuclear power in 2024, far below France’s 380 TWh and the US’ 823 TWh.
  • Egypt’s El Dabaa plant could change Africa’s nuclear map, adding 4,800 MW when completed.
  • Africa’s nuclear challenge is no longer just generation, but whether countries can finance, regulate, build, and sustain nuclear programmes.

For 40 years, one country generated all of Africa’s commercial nuclear power. That could soon change.

Since 1984, South Africa’s Koeberg has been the continent’s only commercial nuclear power station. One plant for a continent of 1.4 billion people — 600 million of whom still have no electricity at all.

In 2024, Africa’s total nuclear output was 7.8 terawatt-hours. France alone produced 380 TWh. The US generated more than 823 TWh.

For a continent with fast-rising electricity demand, the gap is staggering.

African leaders and energy officials are meeting in Kigali this week around one major question: can nuclear ambition become reality?

Egypt is already constructing the four-reactor El Dabaa plant, Kenya recently invited reactor vendors for its planned programme, and South Africa is reviving parts of its small modular reactor ambitions.

For four decades, Koeberg stood alone. Africa’s nuclear story is no longer only about keeping Koeberg alive — it is increasingly about whether other countries can actually build and sustain nuclear programmes of their own.

Source:

Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy 2025

Period:

1984-2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Africa’s share of global oil consumption has stayed below 5% for six decades
  • Global oil consumption rose from about 30.9 million barrels per day in 1965 to 101.4 million barrels per day in 2024, more than tripling over the period.
  • Asia Pacific saw the biggest structural shift in global oil demand, increasing its share from 10.7% in 1965 to 37.9% in 2024 to become the world’s largest oil-consuming region.
  • Africa accounted for just 1.9% of global oil consumption in 1965 and 4.5% in 2024, staying below 5% for nearly 60 years.
  • The global centre of oil demand has gradually shifted away from Western economies toward Asia, reflecting industrialisation, urbanisation, and population growth across the region.
  • Africa’s modest share of global oil demand highlights the continent’s relatively low industrial energy consumption despite rapid population growth.
Nigeria's domestic gas market is absorbing an increasing share of the country's gas output
  • Domestic share rose steadily from 34% in 2021 to 45% in 2025, gaining eleven percentage points in five years.
  • Export share fell from 66% to 55%, losing ground every year without a single recovery.
  • 2023 was the sharpest single-year shift; domestic share jumped seven points, from 36% to 43%.
  • The gap between export and domestic share has narrowed from 32 to just 10 points.
Malacca and Hormuz handle about 24% and 22% of global oil supply, respectively
  • The Strait of Malacca is the world’s most important oil chokepoint, carrying about 24–25% of global oil supply in recent years.
  • The Strait of Hormuz moves around 20–23% of global oil supply, making it the second-largest energy transit chokepoint.
  • The Cape of Good Hope carries about 9–10% of global oil flows, and its share tends to increase when other chokepoints face disruptions.
  • The Bab el-Mandeb saw a sharp drop in oil flow share from about 9% in 2023 to around 4% in 2024, reflecting security concerns affecting shipping in the Red Sea corridor.
  • Oil transported through the Suez Canal and the SUMED pipeline system dropped significantly after 2023, falling from about 8.6% to below 5%, showing how quickly routes shift during geopolitical tensions.
  • The Strait of Malacca’s share has remained consistently high and stable, indicating its structural importance to Asian energy demand.
  • Alternative routes like the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa are longer but strategically crucial, especially when Middle Eastern chokepoints become unstable.
The national grid collapses an average of 7 times annually under Tinubu, down from 13 times under Buhari
  • The highest number of grid collapses in the past 16 years occurred in 2010, with 42 incidents recorded.
  • During Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Nigeria’s grid collapsed an average of 24.4 times a year, the highest among the three administrations.
  • Under Muhammadu Buhari, the annual average dropped to 12.8 collapses per year, indicating improved grid stability compared to earlier years.
  • Under Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the average has fallen further to about 6.7 collapses annually.
  • 2016 recorded the highest number of collapses during the Buhari administration, with 28 incidents.
  • The most stable years in the dataset were 2020 and 2021, with only four collapses each.
Nigeria’s power grid is 69.9% powered by thermal plants
  • Thermal energy dominates Nigeria’s grid, supplying 69.9% of total power.
  • Hydro plants contribute 30.1%, making them the country’s second major source.
  • The heavy reliance on thermal generation shows Nigeria’s grid is still largely fossil-fuel driven.
  • Hydro remains a crucial but secondary source, supporting overall supply stability.
Nigeria's DisCos recorded ₦360bn revenue gap after collecting ₦1.12tn from ₦1.49tn billed in H1 2025
  • DisCos billed approximately ₦1.49 trillion but collected only ₦1.12 trillion in H1 2025.
  • Ikeja and Eko DisCos generated the highest revenues, collecting ₦206.22 billion and ₦210.59 billion, respectively.
  • Revenue collection gaps remain significant, with Jos, Kaduna, and Yola posting the weakest collection performances.
  • The wide gap between billings and actual collections suggests persistent challenges in customer payment compliance, metering, and distribution efficiency.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved