Rwanda has signed a development agreement with Holtec International to advance the potential deployment of its SMR-300 small modular nuclear reactors, as the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA 2026) gets underway in Kigali.
The agreement was signed between Holtec and the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board on the sidelines of the summit, alongside a U.S.–Rwanda civil nuclear cooperation memorandum of understanding. The project envisions deployment of SMR-300 units with a potential combined capacity of up to around 5 gigawatts, aimed at providing stable, carbon-free baseload electricity to support Rwanda’s long-term energy security and economic development goals.
The signing was attended by senior officials from both governments, including Fidèle Ndahayo, Rafael Marín, and Usta Kayitesi, alongside representatives from the U.S. State Department.
Holtec described the SMR-300 as a passively safe, pressurized water reactor with a compact footprint designed for flexible deployment and grid stability support in emerging power systems.
The company said the project would combine reactor technology, engineering and construction partnerships, fuel management and operational support to enable a full-scale civil nuclear program in Rwanda.
Rwanda has been exploring nuclear energy as part of efforts to diversify its energy mix and expand domestic generation capacity to meet growing demand.