MINISTER'S STATEMENT ON THE UPCOMING AFRICAN NUCLEAR BUSINESS PLATFORM 2023 (AFNBP 2023) IN KAMPALA – MARCH 14-17, 2023
HON. DR. RUTH NANKABIRWA SSENTAMU,?MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT?
- The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and the Nuclear Business Platform will host the Africa Nuclear Business Platform 2023 (AFNBP 2023) in Kampala. Over 300 stakeholders from the international nuclear community are expected to converge at Speke Resort Munyonyo from March 14-17, 2023.
- AFNBP 2023 will bring together the key stakeholders pursuing nuclear energy implementation to understand and discuss nuclear energy developments in Africa and explore areas of strategic collaborations to move Uganda and African countries' nuclear industry forward.
- H.E. General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of the Republic of Uganda, is expected to grace the event featuring ministers and senior officials from various countries running nuclear programmes, industry players and nuclear technology vendors.
- The Conference presents an excellent opportunity to Uganda, particularly, and the African continent in general, to find suitable approaches to challenges in the nuclear industry.
- Seven sub-Saharan African countries, including Uganda, have committed to having nuclear energy as part of their energy mix between 2030 to 2037. The other countries are Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya and Zambia.
- All these countries have developed national positions on having nuclear energy and have engaged with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assist in their nuclear power programs. Ongoing activities in the countries include site selections, drafting nuclear laws and regulations, establishing dedicated nuclear organizations and developing strategic cooperation with key global nuclear nations such as the USA, South Korea, China, France and Russia.
- The region, particularly Uganda, is experiencing an ever-increasing population, economic growth, and rising social needs that require sustainable development of energy resources.
- The Uganda Vision 2040 and the subsequent National Development Plans identify electricity as modern energy to shift the country from a peasantry to an industrialized and predominantly urban society. Electricity has been identified as a critical driver of the socio-economic transformation of a nation.
- In that regard, Uganda embarked on diversifying the electricity generation mix to address the electricity crisis of 2005, predominantly hydropower, to develop all the available generation potential.
- However, according to studies conducted in the energy sector, electricity generation from hydro, biomass, geothermal and peat potential, if fully developed, cannot meet Uganda's Vision 2040 targets.
- Therefore, Uganda is making firm steps to integrate nuclear energy into the electricity generation mix to ensure energy security and provide sufficient electricity for industrialization. In addition, the government has identified nuclear as part of Uganda's energy transition plan. It continues to invest in developing the requisite infrastructure, including human capital development in specialized areas to support the early development of nuclear power.
- In 2021, Uganda hosted the IAEA Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review Mission (INIR Phase1) to evaluate the status of nuclear infrastructure development. The experts made recommendations and suggestions to the Uganda Nuclear Power Programme and identified good practices in national position, stakeholder involvement and local industrial involvement.
- Uganda has now taken significant steps towards implementing the INIR recommendations and suggestions to support the development of its nuclear power programme.
- Among these is the preparation for the amendment of the Atomic Energy Act, 2008, to strengthen the legal regime for nuclear safety, security, safeguards for nuclear material, civil nuclear liability and maintaining the nuclear institutional framework.
- In addition, 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 1000MW to be connected to the national grid by 2031.
- For a successful nuclear power program, international support is very vital. The involvement of global multinational bodies such as the IAEA and the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC) in African countries' nuclear power program development will be crucial, given their extensive experience and knowledge. In line with this, the Deputy Director General of the IAEA, Mikhail Chudakov and the chairperson of IFNEC, Aleshia Duncan, will be attending AFNBP 2023.
Hon. Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu,
Minister of Energy and Mineral Development
Solomon Muyita, Principal Public Relations Officer – MEMD,
Email: [email protected], Tel: +256 41 431 1976
US correspondent for Jeune Afrique/The Africa Report.
1 年This might be of interest to your audience: https://www.theafricareport.com/258041/us-ramps-up-nuclear-energy-for-africa-in-showdown-with-russia-china/
Independent Consultant Nuclear Engg.
1 年As of 2021, total installed capacity of Uganda is 1350 MW. For a stable and reliable grid the total installed capacity should reach 10,000+ MW by 2031. (to fulfil the criteria of stable grid, the Largest power generating unit size I.e. 1000 MW should be 10% of total installed capacity) It is highly unlikely for Uganda to reach 10,000 MW grid capacity by 2031 for it to install its first 1000 MWe NPP. My recommendation is that Uganda should go for Small Modular Reactors (150 MW or 300MW) to qualify from electrical grid requirment perspective and also from affordability perspective as low capital investment required compare to 1000MW unit. If Uganda wishes to have large unit of 1000 MW then I think of having it near Lake Victoria instead of Buyende. 1) By utilising cross country interconnections between Uganda - Kenya, and Uganda - Tanzania. This will help Uganda to reach the criteria of 10,000 MW installed capacity through cross-country interconnections. 2) They can export the power to Kenya and Tanzania. Since Kenya is also interested have NPPs, Maybe Uganda and Kenya should work together …