IAEA Concludes Review of Uganda’s Uranium Production Cycle to Support Nuclear Power Initiative

The mission, requested by the Ugandan government, assessed the country's readiness to develop a uranium exploration program and eventually mine uranium for a domestic nuclear power initiative.

An IAEA-led team of international experts has completed the Agency’s first review of Uganda's uranium production cycle. The mission, requested by the Ugandan government, assessed the country's readiness to develop a uranium exploration program and eventually mine uranium for a domestic nuclear power initiative.

Uganda aims to incorporate nuclear power to meet its clean energy goals and expand electricity access for its nearly 50 million residents. Currently, only about half of Ugandans have access to electricity, but the government has set a goal of achieving over 99% access by 2030. The country plans to begin generating nuclear power by 2031 using domestically sourced uranium.

This inaugural Integrated Uranium Production Cycle Review (IUPCR) mission, supported by the IAEA’s technical cooperation program, evaluated Uganda's infrastructure for uranium exploration, the first phase of a uranium production cycle. Eighty-two participants, mainly from Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, engaged in mission activities, including a site visit to an exploration area. Experts from Argentina, Australia, France, Namibia, and the IAEA reviewed 16 key aspects, such as human resource capacity and regulatory framework, and provided recommendations to advance Uganda’s nuclear energy goals.

“The potential discovery of a uranium deposit and subsequent development of uranium resources in Uganda presents an exciting opportunity for the country to support its ambition to introduce nuclear power into its energy mix,” said Adrienne Hanly, the IAEA’s Technical Lead for Uranium Resources and Production. “While significant work remains to be done, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development now has a solid understanding of what is required to succeed in evaluating the country’s uranium occurrences and the next steps needed to get there.”

Several areas in Uganda have been identified as potentially uranium-rich, though no proven resources are currently known. Exploration practices to confirm these resources involve radiometric surveys and geochemical sampling.

“The government of Uganda is committed to adopting international best practices, and this IAEA mission will ensure uranium exploration is conducted according to international standards,” said Ruth Nakabirwa Sentamu, Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development.

The IUPCR team recommended that Uganda develop skilled personnel for uranium exploration and accelerate the discovery, assessment, and development of potential uranium resources by establishing a robust and well-funded exploration program.

This mission is part of a four-year IAEA Technical Cooperation Project supporting uranium exploration and evaluation, which began in 2022. Uranium exploration is a key priority in Uganda’s new Country Programme Framework for 2024-2029. “We are very supportive of strengthening the technical capacity of the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines to explore and evaluate Uganda’s uranium occurrences in terms of skills development and exploration tools,” said Anna Grigoryan, IAEA Programme Management Officer for Uganda.