- Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency pledged to work with various relevant stakeholders, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria.
- Kenya plans to commission its first research reactor between 2030 and 2034.
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Kenya’s nuclear power programme will be a game-changer in energy, health, research and other critical sectors, two State agencies have said.
Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA) and the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) officials said efforts and collaborations are ongoing in the race towards Kenya’s nuclear debut.
“We will not let the country down by bungling the programme. We’ve set our eyes on the target,” KNRA director general James Keter said.
The two sister agencies pledged to work with various relevant stakeholders, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria.
Kenya plans to commission its first research reactor between 2030 and 2034.
It also hopes to have its first nuclear power plant up and running by 2035.
A site for construction has been identified at the Coast, with further feasibility studies ongoing.
Kenya believes nuclear energy will help address its energy needs.
Estimates show the total installed energy capacity as comprising 863MW geothermal, 838MW hydro, 436MW wind, 2MW biomass, 173MW solar and 678MW thermal.
The first nuclear power plant is expected to have a capacity of 1,000 MW.
Keter, KNRA board chairman Omondi Anyanga together with NuPEA CEO Justus Wabuyabo discussed the sector’s further development and the regulatory framework, which fall squarely within the two agencies’ mandates.
“For the record, this is a government project. We’re committed to ensuring we get it right. There are issues around safety and environment but we have ensured that we get it right from the start," Keter said.
The officials said that after taking stock of current and planned activities, they were confident the nuclear ambitions would come to fruition within the official projection.
“From conception and construction all through its entire life, we will ensure it is as per international standard with full safety and security safeguards. We’re on top of it,” the KNRA director general said.
Wabuyabo called for more collaborations in the nuclear sector.
“We intend to work more closely in this journey,” he said.
The talks, held at KNRA headquarters at Kasneb Towers, Nairobi, came at a time when Kenya has made progress in the development of nuclear infrastructure towards, among other things, a new research reactor programme.
Late last year, an International Atomic Energy Agency-led team visited Kenya and reviewed preparations for the research reactor programme.
The project will be implemented by NuPEA supported by KNRA as the sector regulator.
“KNRA has to work very closely with NuPEA which is working towards addressing the infrastructure issues while we handle the regulatory framework. Our relationship is very cordial, towards implementation of the nuclear programme,” Keter said.
Besides KNRA’s regulatory role of protecting lives and the environment from the harmful effects of nuclear and radiation, the authority hosts the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risk mitigation centre at its national laboratory in Oloolua, Kajiado.
According to the IAEA, Kenya has made significant preparations for the country’s new research reactor programme.
“Kenya has demonstrated a sustained and very professional approach to the development of its research reactor programme,” said Andrey Sitnikov, who led the IAEA review mission to Kenya between December 11 and 19 last year.
“We noted that before making the final decision, Kenya did a great job of developing and preparing laws and regulatory documents, actively involving interested stakeholders in the programme, and developing human resources of the future operator and the regulator.”