KHNP Signs Nuclear Site Evaluation Deal with Uganda

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is taking a significant step towards entering the Ugandan nuclear power market.

The company announced on May 28 that it signed a contract for the evaluation of new nuclear power plant sites with the Ugandan government in Entebbe, Uganda, on May 27 (local time).

This contract, commissioned by Uganda’s ministry of energy, is a service to assess whether the Buyende area, one of the candidate sites for new nuclear power plant construction, is suitable for building a nuclear power plant.

KHNP will manage the entire project as the main contractor, with Dohwa Engineering and KEPCO E&C participating together. The contract period is 26 months from this month 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 Korean-type nuclear reactors (APR1400).

Uganda is considering the introduction of nuclear power in line with its energy policies, including “Uganda Vision 2040.” Uganda has plans to build six pressurized water reactors with a capacity of 8,400 MWe (megawatts) by 2040 in the Buyende region, where KHNP is participating in the site evaluation.

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.”

This article originally appeared in Business Korea