Zambia’s Nuclear Energy Dream Stalls in Silence

By Kennedy Mbewe

Ambition vs. Reality

• In 2016 & 2017, Zambia signed major agreements with Russia’s Rosatom to build nuclear science capacity, train Zambian scientists, and eventually construct a 2,000 MW nuclear power plant in Chongwe.

• Promises included a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST), isotope production, and training of 40 Zambian nuclear experts.

• Despite contracts and feasibility studies, construction of the CNST never took off.

• Funding shortages, COVID-19, and Zambia’s failure to meet obligations (such as land allocation and financial guarantees) caused the project to stall by 2020–2021.

• By 2024, the government pledged to restart nuclear-related programmes, but no major plant construction has begun.

Zambia’s ambition to build a nuclear energy sector—anchored on a 2017 deal with Russia’s Rosatom to establish a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology and a 2,000 MW plant in Chongwe—remains largely stalled amid funding shortages, weak regulation, and lack of infrastructure. Like many other government deals, it has largely remained on paper, with little follow-up or tangible progress.

While some Zambian scientists have trained in Russia and policy groundwork exists, the country is still in the “pre-commitment” phase of nuclear readiness, with major gaps in safety oversight, grid capacity, and public engagement, according to the July 2025 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) advisory mission to Zambia.

Russia maintains that the 2017 deal is still active but blames Zambia for delays.

Signed during the Patriotic Front in government, the agreement was hailed by then-Minister of Higher Education Prof. Nkandu Luo as a $500 million project critical to Zambia’s long-term energy security—one she claimed could power the economy for more than 50 years.

Political Silence

Current government officials, including former ministers, have been evasive or unwilling to provide details.

Prof. Luo who was contacted for comment, only responded briefly via WhatsApp text message, saying she was attending a funeral.

Former Energy Minister under the Patriotic Front, Mathew Nkhuwa, declined to comment, directing questions to the Ministry of Energy.

“There is a Minister of Energy there, you can go and ask him. I don’t want to talk about that issue,” he said before abruptly ending the call.

When contacted for comment, the Ministry of Energy referred MakanDay to the Ministry of Technology and Science.

In response, the Ministry of Technology said the project never fully took off. However, in 2024 the government reaffirmed its commitment to reviving nuclear science and technology. Principal Public Relations Officer Ilitongo Maboshe outlined the timeline of events—from the signing of the initial MoU to the project’s suspension due to financial constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, then-Energy Minister Peter Kapala told News Diggers that the project had stalled due to funding shortages.

Russia’s Position

The Russian Embassy in Zambia confirmed that the 2017 agreement remains active but noted that Zambia had failed to meet key obligations, leading to the suspension of the project in 2021.

Press Secretary Ekaterina Garilevich explained that while initial groundwork had been laid, Zambia did not provide land or financial guarantees, causing delays. She added that a number of Zambians had been trained in Russia, with more than 200 studying there annually, including about 160 on scholarships in nuclear-related fields.

Garilevich dismissed suggestions of geopolitical motives, saying Russia’s cooperation with Africa is based on mutual respect and peaceful development.

Beyond nuclear energy, she pointed to other areas of collaboration, including healthcare, education, trade, agriculture, and technology, citing companies such as Yandex (operating locally as Yango) and new agro-processing ventures as examples of expanding ties.

Expert Concerns

Analysts warn it could take 20 years before Zambia is technically and institutionally ready. Risks include nuclear accidents, waste mismanagement, dependence on foreign experts, and security threats.

New energy science and technology engineer Boniface Zulu warned that Zambia is not yet prepared—technically, financially, or institutionally—to embark on such a project.

“We must consider national security, the management of radioactive waste, and whether we have enough trained, patriotic Zambians to operate such a sensitive facility,” he said.

Zulu raised serious concerns, including the risk of radioactive waste falling into the wrong hands and Zambia’s vulnerability should foreign partners withdraw. He noted that the country lacks both the infrastructure and financial capacity to manage a potential nuclear accident like those seen in Chernobyl or Fukushima. He also stressed the absence of public consultation and awareness. 

“This is not like setting up solar panels,’ Zulu warned. “Nuclear energy is extremely dangerous. One radioactive spill could affect not just Zambia but neighbouring countries such as Malawi and Mozambique.”

Critical Gaps and Risks

At the conclusion of this year’s IAEA advisory service mission to Zambia in July, the agency commended the country’s commitment but flagged significant shortcomings. These included weak regulatory oversight, inadequate infrastructure (with the 3.8 GW national grid unable to reliably support a single 2 GW plant), poor emergency preparedness, shortages of skilled personnel, and limited public engagement. Ordinary Zambians have yet to be meaningfully consulted on the potential risks. The mission focused on assessing Zambia’s nuclear security regime, particularly the control of nuclear and other radioactive material outside regulatory oversight.

Key Timeline of Events

• December 2016 – MoUs signed with Rosatom to develop nuclear science capacity and plan a 2 GW nuclear plant over 10–15 years.
• February 2017 – Intergovernmental agreement signed to construct CNST with research reactor, labs, isotope production, and training facilities.
• Later in 2017 – Russian delegation conducted feasibility studies for a US$300 million “non-power” research reactor for education, training, and industrial applications.
• May 2018 – General contract signed to construct CNST, including research reactor and nuclear medicine facility.
• December 2018 – Rosatom delivered a comprehensive report on Zambia’s nuclear infrastructure.
• By 2020 – Project suspended due to financial constraints and COVID-19; Russia declined to commit the approximately US$10 billion required for the larger plant.
• September 2020 – Both governments planned to reassess the project roadmap.

(Source: Ministry of Technology and Science)