The first nuclear project, Buyende Nuclear Power Plant, would be located at Buyende, about 150 km north of the capital Kampala, Energy and Minerals Minister Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu said in a statement.
"Preparation to evaluate the Buyende Nuclear Power Plant site is ongoing to pave the way for the first nuclear power project expected to generate 2,000 MW, with the first 1000 MW to be connected to the national grid by 2031," she said.
The east African country has signed a deal with China under which the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) would help Uganda build capacity in the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes.
"Uganda is making firm steps to integrate nuclear energy into the electricity generation mix to ensure energy security and provide sufficient electricity for industrialization," the minister added.
Uganda has an installed generating capacity of about 1,500 MW but officials say they expect the country's energy needs to jump in coming years as earnings from oil exports fuel an economic boom.
In Africa, only South Africa at present has an operational nuclear power plant while Russia's state-owned energy corporation Rosatom last year started construction of Egypt's first nuclear plant.