Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has signed a business agreement with the Zimbabwe Centre for Education Innovation Research & Development (CEIRD) at the KHNP Radiation Health Centre to undertake a preliminary feasibility study for the possible deployment of Korea’s Innovative Small Modular Reactor (i-SMR) in Zimbabwe. The agreement also covers training of nuclear experts and sharing of nuclear technology information.
The i-SMR is being developed according to a development roadmap, with the goal of obtaining standard design approval in 2028. It is a 190 MWe integrated pressurised water reactor NPP. KHNP has built a simulator at its Central Research Institute to verify the operational suitability of the i-SMR. The concept and basic design of the i-SMR was completed at the end of 2023, and standard design should be ready by December 2025.
Zimbabwe covers most of its electricity production from hydro and thermal power but has difficulty in providing reliable electricity due to ageing facilities and climate change. It is now diversifying its energy portfolio and is considering introducing nuclear power to achieve Vision 2030, a science and technology-based national development policy.
In December 2024, Edgar Moyo, Minister of Energy & Power Development, said Zimbabwe plans to increase its power generation capacity to at least 4 GWe by 2035, up from 2.6 GWe. Moyo said Zimbabwe will collaborate with Russia on construction of small nuclear reactors and told journalists that the IAEA “have indicated their willingness to take us through paces until we get there”. Rosatom and the Ministry of Energy in 2021 signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on nuclear energy.
Despite its ambitions, Zimbabwe faces challenges owing more than $9bn in debt, including $7bn in arrears. The US lifted its Zimbabwe Sanctions Program in 2024 but still monitors companies under anti-corruption laws and investors remain cautious.
KHNP President Hwang Joo-ho said, “Through this business agreement, we hope that Zimbabwe will accelerate energy diversification and find sustainable energy solutions through SMRs. Based on cooperation with Zimbabwe, KHNP will strengthen its foundation for entering the African market, where energy demand is rapidly increasing.”
Despite the i-SMR not expecting design approval until 2028 with no date targeted for construction and deployment, KHNP earlier signed an agreement with Nusantara Power (a subsidiary of Indonesian Electric Power Corporation) to co-operate for the introduction and construction of the i-SMR in Indonesia. It has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for co-operation with the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission on possible deployment of the i-SMR in Jordan, which is currently considering the introduction of SMRs after 2030. In January KHNP signed further MOUs with Norway’s Norsk Kjernekraft and Sweden’s Kärnfull Next to cooperate in sharing information on KHNP’s i-SMR and to conduct preliminary feasibility studies on candidate sites.
