The Minister of State for Energy, Hon. Okaasai S. Opolot on Wednesday officially launched the exploration and evaluation of nuclear fuel resources at the Sembabule district headquarters, which he said would be conducted in various districts.
The launch was made in the remote fields of the Sembabule district with high concentrations of uranium.
According to Minister Okassai, Uganda is considering boosting its electricity generation capacity through nuclear power, and uranium is needed for the sustainable supply of nuclear fuel for Uganda’s Nuclear Power Program.
“The launch will kickstart the exploration process to evaluate the status of uranium prospects, starting with the areas of Kyambogo, Lwansala and Kyataba B in Sembabule district,” said Minister Okaasai, adding, “Studies have identified prospects of uranium with the potential of hosting economically viable resources discovered in the districts of Sembabule, Buhweju, Gomba, Kiboga, Mbarara, Hoima, Kabarole, Kamwenge, Iganga and Tororo.”
He said the government would undertake a detailed exploration and evaluation to quantify the nuclear resources that will guide a national strategy for supplying nuclear fuel for the planned nuclear power plants.
The Minister also appealed to the local communities in Sembabule to support and cooperate with the government teams in their area during the exploration activities that will include pitting, trenching and drilling of the Uranium prospects.
Hon. Okaasai further noted that the Nuclear Power Programme was critical to the government’s realisation of meeting a total installed capacity of 52,000MW of electricity by 2040 to ensure energy security for industrialisation.
“Several undertakings are being implemented to prepare for introducing nuclear power into the electricity generation mix. The government wants to produce at least 24,000MW of nuclear power capacity to be developed by 2040.”
The Member of Parliament for Lwemiyaga County-Ssembabule district Theodore Ssekikubo said utmost caution is needed when harnessing Uganda’s nuclear resources because of its risk potential. He also appealed to the government to consider putting a vocational institute for the skilling of the locals in Sembabule.
The District Chairperson, Patrick Nkalubo, said Sembabule is one of the luckiest districts in the country for such a discovery to have been made there. “We shall support the government programmes in this area.”
Meanwhile, the Minister was escorted by a technical team of Geologists and Nuclear Scientists from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development led by Ms Sarah Nafuna (Ag. Commissioner, Nuclear Energy Dept), to confirm the potential of the mineral in the central Uganda district.
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