Govt signs deal for Buyende nuclear site assessment

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The Government has signed a contract with a South Korean firm to pave the way for site assessment of the proposed 8,400MW Buyende nuclear power plant.

The deal between the energy ministry and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company Ltd (KHNP) was signed at Petroleum House in Entebbe, Wakiso district on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.

The contract was signed by energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa on behalf of the Government, while the Korean firm was represented by Lim Seung-Yeol, the firm’s vice-president for overseas business development.

Site assessment is one of the preliminary studies conducted during the development of a nuclear power plant.

The Government in 2016 set out to explore nuclear energy as one of the alternatives in electricity and has since conducted several studies that resulted in the identification of four sites in Buyende, Nakasongola, Kiruhura and Lamwo.

Buyende has since been zeroed in on as the pioneer site for nuclear energy development that is expected to result in the development of 24,000MW worth of electricity across the four sites.

On the sidelines of the Africa Nuclear Business Platform hosted in Kampala in 2023, Uganda entered a memorandum of understanding with the Republic of Korea, creating a pathway to explore opportunities of mutual interest in the development of nuclear power plants in Uganda.

“Therefore, in line with the implementation of this MoU, the contract we are signing today covers comprehensive site evaluation services for the Buyende NPP site,” ministry undersecretary Grace Tusiime said while representing the permanent secretary.

Tusiime said the Korean firm is expected to assess safety-related and non-safety characteristics of the site, including seismic, geological, hydrological, meteorological and environmental factors; emergency planning zones and population distribution, land/water use and potential impacts.

“The findings will feed into reactor design, licensing, and safety assurance for the Buyende nuclear power plant,” Tusiime said.

Nankabirwa explained that her ministry is currently in the process of acquiring up to 30 square kilometres of land for this project in Buyende and that the resettlement action plan (RAP) studies are expected to be concluded in a few weeks to come.

“The Buyende Nuclear Power Project is a major step towards achieving our energy goals, and this contract signing ceremony for the Site Evaluation is a testament to our government’s commitment towards our cooperation,” Nankabirwa said.

“Through this contract, KHNP truly hopes to become a strong and reliable partner on Uganda’s historical journey to becoming a nuclear operating nation,” Seung-Yeol said.

Site evaluation meeting ends

The two-day site evaluation meeting for Buyende Nuclear Power Plant ended yesterday, May 28, paving the way for construction and local capacity building.