Uganda Set To Join Nuclear Power Plant Operators, Targets 2,000 Megawatts

The Ugandan government has announced plans to incorporate nuclear power into its energy mix, with a goal of generating at least 2,000 Megawatts (2 gigatonnes) from nuclear power.

The East African country plans to build the project in two phases, with the first phase of 1,000 megawatts expected to be completed by 2031.

Uganda has a lot of uranium, which is used to power nuclear power plants, and the country wants to maximize its uranium reserves. The project will be carried out in collaboration with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

Only South Africa currently operates nuclear power, while Egypt began construction on its first El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in November 2022. While Ghana, a West African country, has also made progress in its nuclear power plant and hopes to announce a vendor country soon.

Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Uganda’s Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, told journalists last Thursday that studies in the energy sector revealed that electricity generation from hydro, biomass, geothermal, and peat potential, if fully developed, cannot meet Uganda’s ‘Vision 2040’ targets.

She said that Uganda is taking firm steps to integrate nuclear energy into the electricity generation mix in order to ensure energy security and provide enough electricity for industrialization.

According to her, the first nuclear facility, Buyende Nuclear Power Plant, will be built about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Kampala.

“Preparation to evaluate the Buyende Nuclear Power Plant site is ongoing to pave the way for the first nuclear power project expected to generate 2,000MW, with the first 1,000MW to be connected to the national grid by 2031,” said Nankabirwa.