African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Dr Amani Abou-Zeid met with Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA Director-General during her official visit to the Agency Headquarters in Vienna, Austria on the margins of the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum that took place 2-3 November 2023.

During the meeting Commissioner Abou-Zeid accentuated that the energy needs of the African Continent means that no source of energy, including nuclear, can be disregarded in the quest to achieve universal energy access to the entire continent. “Meeting the needs of Africa's growing population and economy will require utilising every viable energy source at our disposal.  Nuclear energy has the potential to be a reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy source that can contribute to enable access to affordable energy services in Africa as well contribute to the overall economic well being of Africa”.

From his side, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi noted that “nuclear, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), is on the agenda for many African countries seeking clean, stable, affordable energy”, expressing IAEA’s desire to support and collaborate with the nations to harness nuclear applications for Africa’s prosperity.

While the IAEA has been mostly cooperating on a bilateral basis with African Countries, Commissioner Abou-Zeid has welcomed the opportunity to work closely with the Agency on a continental level. Several African countries have taken some steps to adopt nuclear energy and they can benefit from the Agency’s technical expertise to explore the different possibilities nuclear offers for developing clean energy sources. Director General Grossi has indicated that IAEA can be a concrete partner to support Africa nuclear projects. Commissioner Abou-Zeid and Director General Grossi agreed on the importance to share information and coordinate action on a wider scale.

Commissioner Abou-Zeid also stressed the importance “to adopt a holistic approach towards nuclear energy and take advantage of its various benefits”. Nuclear goes beyond electricity and can be used in other fields such as water management, cancer treatment and pest control among others. To this end, Commissioner Abou-Zeid invited Director General Grossi to visit the African Union Commission in Addis-Ababa to meet with other Commissioners and facilitate a pragmatic conversation around enhancing the use of nuclear energy for development.

For media inquiries, please contact:

1. Molalet Tsedeke| Directorate of Information and Communication| African Union Commission |mobile+251 (0) 911630631| E-mail: MolalettT@africa-union.org|
2. Bezayit Eyoel| Department of Infrastructure and Energy| African Union Commission| Mobile:  +251913223288 | E-mail: BezayitE@africa-union.org|

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