Commercial SMR Agreement Reached at U.S-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit

General sessions kicked off today at the second annual U.S.-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit (USANES) in Nairobi, Kenya. USANES is a week-long series of events hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Kenyan Nuclear Power and Energy Agency, and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum of Kenya. The summit focuses on industry readiness and features educational workshops, interactive sessions, and panel discussions on topics such as managing the nuclear supply chain, building workforce capacity, and engaging stakeholders. 

During the summit, Ghana nuclear power plant owner/operator Nuclear Power Ghana and U.S. nuclear technology project developer Regnum Technology Group reached an agreement to deploy a single NuScale VOYGR-12 small modular reactor plant in Ghana to deliver clean, reliable electricity. 

The two companies plan to form a subsidiary company in the near future to own and operate Africa’s first commercial advanced light-water small modular reactor plant. 

“Signing this agreement will position Ghana as a leader in the deployment of small modular reactors in Africa, catalyzing economic development and job creation in the region,” said Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins. “We are excited by the promise of these technologies in building a more sustainable future.” 

“Ghana and many other African countries are pursuing nuclear energy to achieve their economic development, energy security, and decarbonization goals,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation Aleshia Duncan. “It’s imperative that the United States remain a strong and engaged partner, offering technical expertise and resources to ensure the successful deployment of nuclear energy across the continent.” 

Small modular reactors can help meet the needs of communities around the world, offering flexibility in power, size, and operations in urban and remote settings. They have relatively small physical footprints, can adjust their electricity output to match demand, are flexible enough to pair with renewable generation, and can benefit markets beyond electricity. 

DOE has provided more than $579 million since 2014 to support the design and licensing of NuScale’s VOYGR small modular reactor power plant. VOYGR is the only small modular reactor design currently certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at 50 megawatts-electric per module. NuScale is seeking to increase the power for each module to 77 megawatts-electric, which is currently under review with the NRC. 

The summit will continue through Friday, August 30. DOE plans to host the next USANES the first week of July 2025 in Rwanda with a special focus on small modular reactors.