The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has warned residents of Buyende District to desist from hurried sale of their land to speculators who are targeting the 34 trillion Shillings nuclear energy power plant project in 2031.
Government identified Buyende as one of the eight sites for the construction of a 2,000 MW Nuclear Power Project for the introduction of nuclear power in Uganda’s electricity generation mix after pre-feasibility studies in 2019.
Other potential sites for the construction of subsequent Nuclear Power Project for energy security and industrialization include Nakasongola and Lamwo Districts among others.
In December 2021, the International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA endorsed Uganda’s nuclear energy power plant development following a successful review of the country’s nuclear infrastructure.
According to Emmanuel Wamala, the Assistant Commissioner Nuclear Fuel and Radioactive Waste, the project will need an estimate of one square mile of land for the nuclear energy power plant and additional 34 square miles to be gazetted as an emergency zone for the safety of the population.
The Minister of Energy, Dr Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, said preparations are ongoing to evaluate the Buyende nuclear power site and warned the residents to avoid hurried sale of land to schemers targeting surface rights compensation from the Government.
Nankabirwa who was addressing journalists on Thursday from the Ministry ahead of the African Nuclear Business Platform to be hosted by Uganda from Tuesday 14th – Friday 17th March, 2023 at the Speke Resort Hotel Munyonyo, pointed out that Uganda is experiencing an ever increasing population, economic growth, and rising social needs that require sustainable development of energy resources to meet the country’s Vision 2040 and National Development Plans – NDP goals.
Both Vision 2040 and the NDP identify electricity and modern energy as critical drivers of the socio-economic transformation that will shift the country from a peasantry to an industrialized and predominantly urban society.
Studies conducted by the Ministry of Energy indicate that the country’s energy sector comprises electricity generation from hydro, biomass, geothermal, solar, and peat potential, if fully developed, cannot meet targets envisaged under Vision 2040.
Uganda is among seven other countries in the Sub-Saharan countries that have committed to integrating nuclear energy as part of their energy mixes between from 2030-2037. The other counties are Ghana, Kenya, Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia and Nigeria.
