Rosatom, Uganda to cooperate on peaceful use of nuclear energy, map out further steps for potential nuclear power plant site selection

MOSCOW. Oct 30 (Interfax) - Rosatom and the Ugandan Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development signed a roadmap for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy at the Russia-Africa Summit, the Russian state corporation said.

The document calls for a dedicated working group to assess Uganda's national nuclear infrastructure and identify joint steps to enable discussion of a contract for engineering surveys to select a site for the Nakasongola Nuclear Power Plant, Rosatom said.

"Together with our Ugandan partners, we intend to assess national nuclear infrastructure and determine next steps to move to discussing a contract for engineering surveys to select a Nakasongola NPP site," Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev was quoted as saying.

Rosatom said earlier that it had held talks with representatives of more than 25 African countries during the summit, including Uganda, with which the construction of a large nuclear power plant is being discussed.

Rosatom is currently building four 1200 MW power units at the El Dabaa NPP in Egypt, the state corporation's first project in Africa. Rosatom also hopes to do business cooperate with other African countries, notably Ethiopia, Rwanda and Zambia, Likhachev said on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit.