Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority on Thursday highlighted significant gains in the country’s nuclear agenda but said it will work with stakeholders ‘round the clock’ to ensure the highest safety standards.
Addressing a meeting convened by the Environment Institute of Kenya to discuss environmental and social safeguards, officials from the regulator said Kenya was off to a good start, beginning with the enactment of the Nuclear Regulatory Act of 2019.
KNRA Director for Nuclear Security Isaac Mundia said that besides benefits in health and agriculture, nuclear would help the country improve its energy independence by raising reliability of supply and reducing power costs thus growing the economy.
Mr Mundia said that with effective regulation throughout the three crucial phases of nuclear power infrastructure development including safety, legal framework, radiation protection and human resource development, nuclear would be as safe as solar.
“It’s as safe as solar energy. It’s one of the safest sources of energy,” he said.
According to the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), Kenya hopes to have its first nuclear power plant up and running by 2035. A site for construction has been identified along the coastal belt, with feasibility studies ongoing.
Current estimates show that Kenya’s total installed energy capacity comprises 863 MW of geothermal, 838 MW of hydro, 436 MW of wind, 2 MW biomass, 173 MW of solar and 678 MW of thermal. The country’s installed electricity capacity as of 2023 stood at 3,321MW.
Addressing the forum, KNRA Director for Public Awareness Edward Mayaka said that while the regulator isn’t necessarily a promotion of nuclear in Kenya, it’s working round the clock to ensure activities leading to the establishment of Kenya’s first reactor meet safety standards.
“Coming up with projects that meet safety standards is like a marathon race. They require proper planning. It's important to note that almost all of the world’s worst nuclear accidents were due to human factors, not technology,” Mr Mayaka said.
He added: “We are aware that perception around nuclear is generally negative. This is why we believe public awareness creation is key. It’s also welcome to note that we now have new reactor designs with enhanced safety features and also improved waste management procedures.”
The officials gave examples of countries such as France and Belgium which depend on nuclear to meet more than 70 per cent of their energy needs. They said that besides nuclear having a low carbon blueprint, it is expected to help countries speed up the face-out of fossil fuels.
KNRA has in the past indicated that consultations were ongoing with a view to having Kenya assent to relevant international treaties such as the Convention on Nuclear Safety, the Convention of Early Notification of Nuclear Accident, the Convention on Assistance in the Case of Nuclear Accident and Radiological Emergency and Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management of 1997.