AfrPowerOS country record
Uganda's nuclear & energy program
Uganda's nuclear power program status: Preparing (IAEA milestone phase 2). Confidence-labelled, cited records on capacity, grid targets, regulators, vendors and key events, from the open AfrPowerOS dataset.
Uganda — key facts
- CountryUganda
- RegionEast Africa
- Program statusPreparing — Infrastructure development before procurement
- IAEA milestone phasePhase 2 — Ready to invite bids / negotiate a contract
- Commercial reactors operating0
- Commercial reactors under construction0
- Planned capacity8.4 GW
- First grid target2031
- RegulatorAtomic Energy Council (AEC)
- Implementing agencyMinistry of Energy and Mineral Development
- AgreementsKHNP site-evaluation contract for Buyende site (May 2025); China-Uganda nuclear cooperation MoU (2018)
- Electricity access45.0%
- Installed capacity1400.0 MW
- ConfidenceVerified
- Last verified2026-08-16
Summary
Buyende NPP: the initial ~1,000 MW is targeted by 2031 (Minister Nankabirwa, May 2025) — the 2031 date applies to the first unit, not the full plant. The full Buyende plant capacity is planned at ~8,400 MW with phased commissioning (June 2025). Long-term Vision 2040 target of 24 GW nuclear. KHNP contracted (May 2025) for site evaluation ahead of feasibility; no reactor vendor selected. Completed Phase 1 of IAEA milestones (2019); in Phase 2 with partner support.
Key events
- 2025-05Uganda signs KHNP site evaluation contract for Buyende NPP; initial 1,000 MW targeted by 2031 source
- 2025-06Government confirms Buyende plant full capacity of 8,400 MW; KHNP leads assessment with Dohwa Engineering and KEPCO E&C source
- 2023Uganda progresses to Phase 2 with IAEA and partner support for nuclear infrastructure source
- 2019Uganda completes Phase 1 of IAEA nuclear power milestones source
Claims and confidence labels
- program_statusPreparingVerifiedobserved 2025-05 · verified 2026-09-23 source
- iaea_milestone_phase2Inferenceobserved 2021-12 · verified 2026-09-23 source
- capacity_gw_planned8.4Verifiedobserved 2025-06 · verified 2026-08-16 source
- first_grid_target_year2031Verifiedobserved 2025-05 · verified 2026-08-16 source
- vendorsInferenceobserved 2025-05 · verified 2026-09-23 source
- agreementsKHNP site-evaluation contract for Buyende site (May 2025), China-Uganda nuclear cooperation MoU (2018)Verifiedobserved 2025-05 · verified 2026-09-23 source
Sources
- https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/korea-to-evaluate-proposed-ugandan-nuclear-power-plant-site
- https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/china-and-uganda-agree-to-nuclear-cooperation
- https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/iaea-completes-ugandan-nuclear-infrastructure-revi
- https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/buyende-nuclear-power-plant-to-generate-initial-1-000mw-by-2031--5060254
- https://govinfohub.go.ug/index.php/2025/06/04/uganda-moves-closer-to-nuclear-energy-as-buyende-plant-site-gets-contractor/
- https://www.energyandminerals.go.ug
Related countries
Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia
Confidence labels: Verified (primary source), Inference (reasonable reading of verified evidence), Speculation (hypothesis), Unverified (reported, not confirmed). See the methodology.