A proposed nuclear plant will not be built in Kombani, Kwale County, the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency has clarified.
On Monday last week, residents and civil society groups in the area staged demonstrations against alleged plans to put up the proposed plant.
This followed a visit by experts from the Netherlands.
However, Nupea CEO Justus Wabuyabo on Tuesday told the Star the foreign experts were only helping environmental watchdog Nema check the area’s viability as another site, as required by law.
“These experts were visiting the sites we had recommended for the proposed nuclear power plant so that when they write their advisory to Nema they give their own thoughts on the suitability of the sites,” Wabuyabo told the Star at his Mombasa office.
The agency, with the help of SGS consultants, undertook a social and environmental assessment and submitted a report to Nema for validation.
Nema, in order to further interrogate the report, sought help from their counterparts in the Netherlands to give their expert opinion, since nuclear energy is new to Kenya.
“The experts came here to look at the work we have done and to visit the sites we had recommended. In our report we had recommended Kilifi and Kwale areas for the nuclear power plant,” Wabuyabo said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency requires that there should be more than one proposed site for a nuclear power plant.
Nupea is only undertaking preliminary site identification and has not settled on any particular site to set up the plant.
“After this, there will be a detailed site characterisation and if it will be found that Kilifi is the best suited place for the plant, we will conduct an environmental impact assessment that will look at the environment and ensure the project will not bring any harm to the environment or people,” the Nupea CEO said.
He said Nupea is considering new technology called Small Modular Reactors, which perform the same function as the traditional nuclear plant but are smaller, more effective and with less risks.
“Just like one can have a personalised generator instead of having a power producing plant, these SMRs require less maintenance and operational costs,” Wabuyabo said.
Environmental activists led by Phyllis Omido have been vocal against the proposed nuclear power plant planned for Uyombo in Matsangonin ward in Kilifi North constituency, Kilifi County.
Omido, executive director of the Centre for Justice Governance and Environmental Action, last Friday insisted they will not allow the government to destroy the Unesco biosphere area that Uyombo is part of by establishing the plant there.
She led a protest march from Mtondia to Governor Gideon Mung’aro’s office where they presented a petition.
On Tuesday, Wabuyabo said protests from NGOs had delayed the process of detailed site characterisation, which will determine the suitability of an area to host the proposed nuclear power plant.
“We are still conducting public participation fora to listen to the opinions of the people and to explain to them deeply what this nuclear energy is all about,” the CEO said.
He said nuclear energy is still relatively new in Africa and needs time for the people at the grassroots to understand, which is why public participation is a process and not an event.
He likened the advent of nuclear energy in Africa to the arrival of airplanes.
“When air transport technology was first introduced, people were skeptical about staying in the air for a prolonged period. But when they later realised it was the fastest and safest mode of transport, everyone embraced it,” the CEO said.
“It is the same with the nuclear power plant. Citizens must be taken through the pros and cons of nuclear energy. Even though there are dangers of this kind of energy, these dangers can be mitigated.”
Wabuyabo dismissed arguments by environmental activists that developed nations are moving away from nuclear energy, saying they are misleading people.
“They must get the correct information.As we speak, developed nations like the US, China, France and England are all establishing new nuclear power plants," Wabuyabo said.
“The only place that wanted to or closed their nuclear power plant is Germany. And even they are now reconsidering that decision following the war in Ukraine, which prevents them from getting the energy they were getting from Russia.”
He said nuclear energy will help the world address the climate change challenge because nuclear energy does not emit carbon.
“It is a technology that has been accepted by the developed nations,” he said.
The CEO said the government cannot allow a project that would be harmful to its people.
He said the people are the assets of the country because they are the human capital needed for development to take place.
“Thus, any project that is undertaken must conform to the set laws in the country which protect both the people and the environment,” Wabuyabo said.
“We cannot do anything against the law. We will ensure that this project is safe for our Kenyan people and environment.”
He said politicians and NGOs may mislead people based on emotions.
He said their expressions are protected by the constitution because there is freedom of speech.
“But when they speak, they should be patriotic and think about how to uplift the lives of the common people. Let us no spread propaganda to make it difficult for our country to develop,” Wabuyabo said.