In November 2024, Uganda disclosed that it was trying to ink a nuclear deal with Russia, given Russia’s nuclear expansion in Africa, in the last few years.
- Uganda is in talks with Russia to build a nuclear power plant.
- A memorandum of understanding for nuclear energy was signed between Uganda and Russian state enterprise Rosatom in October 2024.
- Uganda aims to start generating electricity from nuclear power stations by 2031.
Very recently, the conversation was brought back into the fold, as the CEO of the Russian state corporation; Rosatom revealed that Uganda and Russia are currently going over construction plans for a nuclear plant.
In November 2024, Ugandan authorities and Rosatom decided on signing a memorandum of understanding for nuclear energy and nuclear power station building.
At the time, Ugandan Energy Minister Sidonius Okaasai Opolot revealed that the government and the Russian state enterprise were deciding on a location for the future power facility.
Uganda’s foreign minister Abubaker Jeje Odongo also commented on the agreement, noting that the deal was a result of Africa’s growing energy needs, especially for industrialization.
By 2031, Uganda to begin generating electricity from nuclear power stations, as reported by Sputnik.
According to Igor Yushkov, a senior analyst at the Russian National Energy Security Fund, the primary challenge Uganda faces in developing a nuclear facility is funding, which is why it is looking for favorable Russian loans.
The senior analyst also emphasized the necessity for significant investments in Uganda’s electricity infrastructure to support the project, given the country’s low electrification rate.
Some of Rosatom’s nuclear deal with African countries
In July, the Russian-state-owned energy company Rosatom signed a nuclear deal with Congo.
Earlier in June, Russia and the Republic of Guinea partnered on a nuclear project. They signed a memorandum of understanding in St. Petersburg to develop floating nuclear power stations.
In March, Algeria’s Ministry of Energy signed a memorandum of cooperation with Rosatom.
In recent years, these kinds of agreements have become increasingly common in Africa as nations consider the advantages of collaboration with Russia over Western markets.
Rwanda in 2019, signed a deal to establish nuclear plants in conjunction with Russia’s nuclear agency, Rosatom, which sparked widespread resistance owing to safety concerns.
