Addis Ababa, December 9, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commissioner Sandokan Debebe has underscored that Ethiopia’s decision to adopt nuclear technology is driven by the country’s strategic ambition to ensure national energy security, accelerate economic transformation, and build long-term resilience.
A high-level event was held on Monday in Addis Ababa to officially launch the Ethiopian Nuclear Power Programme and operationalize the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission. The gathering brought together senior government officials, including Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos, Commissioner Sandokan Debebe, and Mikhail Chudakov, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), alongside other government representatives and stakeholders.
It was learned that the construction of a mega nuclear power plant, forming part of the USD 30 billion development initiatives recently announced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is expected to enhance Ethiopia’s energy security and support the country’s industrial transformation agenda.
Speaking during the launch, Sandokan noted that Ethiopia’s heavy dependence on hydropower makes its energy system vulnerable to climate variability, worsening power supply shortages that affect both industry and households. With Ethiopia among the world’s fastest-growing economies, he emphasized the escalating demand for sustainable and high-quality electricity.
“No single existing source in our current energy mix can meet this scale of demand,” he stated.
Sandokan stressed that in response, the government has made a strategic decision to adopt nuclear energy as a core component of its long-term national energy strategy. The Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission, established in October 2025, is mandated to oversee the peaceful use of nuclear technology, spearhead nuclear power development for electricity generation, and support its application across industry, food security, healthcare, and scientific research.
“We are not merely adding another technology; we are securing the foundation of our future economy,” he affirmed.
He reiterated that Ethiopia’s nuclear pursuit is exclusively peaceful and anchored in a strong legal and governance framework. He added that Ethiopia is aligning its national system with IAEA safety and regulatory standards, maintaining full adherence to international treaties and obligations.
Ethiopia’s nuclear vision, he explained, extends beyond electricity generation, aiming to expand the peaceful use of nuclear science in areas such as agriculture, healthcare, industry and research to deliver broad societal benefits.
“We stand ready and committed to achieving a peaceful nuclear development that will contribute to our energy security and economic growth,” he stressed.
Delivering a webinar address, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi described the establishment of the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission as fundamental for developing and regulating nuclear energy in accordance with global safety and security standards. He highlighted nuclear power as a reliable, quick and low-carbon source of electricity capable of accelerating Ethiopia’s socio-economic transformation, stimulating industrial growth, and creating high-skilled jobs.
Grossi said the IAEA remains committed to supporting Ethiopia through advisory and capacity-building programmes across all phases of its nuclear development. Under the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme, work is underway to strengthen human resource development, institutional capacity, and infrastructure readiness for future milestones.
The Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission will ensure that all nuclear-related activities comply fully with international safety requirements, particularly those set by the IAEA. One of its core responsibilities is to guide the deployment of nuclear technology across priority sectors — electricity generation, industry, food security, healthcare and research — to guarantee safe, responsible and development-oriented use of nuclear energy for national progress.