Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has signed a contract for the evaluation of new NPP sites with the Ugandan government. The contract, commissioned by Uganda’s Energy Ministry, will assess whether the Buyende area, one of the candidate sites for new NPP construction, is suitable.
KHNP will manage the entire project as the main contractor, with the participation of Dohwa Engineering and Kepco E&C. The contract period is 26 months until July 2027. During this period, KHNP and its partners will evaluate factors such as the climate of the site, natural disasters like floods and earthquakes, cooling water sources, and potential incidents such as aircraft collisions, in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards.
KHNP plans to lay the groundwork for nuclear power plant exports by proposing the site evaluation results along with a layout for four APR1400 reactors.
Uganda is considering the introduction of nuclear power in line with its energy policies, including Uganda Vision 2040. Uganda has plans to build six pressurised water reactors with a capacity of 8,400 MWe by 2040 in the Buyende region.
Huang Ju-ho, president of KHNP, said, “This contract signing is a meaningful first step towards exporting Korean-type nuclear power plants to the African market, which has great growth potential,” adding, “We will expand KHNP’s presence in Africa based on cooperation with Uganda.”
