Kenya set for club of nuclear energy users with Sh1.4 trillion programme

Kenya has taken the first step in a Sh1.4 trillion journey that may take it into a select club of nuclear powers.

The government hopes to invest the money in nuclear reactors to produce 4,000 Megawatts (MW) of electricity.

According to Mr Ochillo Ayacko, the chairman of the Nuclear Electricity Development Project (NEDP) in the Ministry of Energy, a team has been established to assess the country’s potential to go nuclear.

However, this action is likely to spark debate given the nuclear crisis in Japan after an earthquake and tsunami that made some nuclear energy powerhouses, like Germany, to shut down their plants.

Kenya’s pre-feasibility study team is composed of experts from different government ministries and agencies.

These are the Radiation Protection Board, Energy Regulatory Commission, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Industrial Research Institute, KenGen, Cotu, the ministries of Higher Education and Planning.

The team will come up with a framework that will clear the way for nuclear energy in the country.

It will, among other things, evaluate the country’s human resource to support a nuclear plant, come up with proposals on funding and a regulatory framework.

“The pre-feasibility study assessors will put in place the scientific criteria of identifying the site where the nuclear plant will be located,” he said.

The secretary of NEDP, Mr David Otwoma, said a training programme for nuclear experts had been rolled out. The study, which started this month, will continue until November next year.

Mr Otwoma said phase one of the project will involve producing a comprehensive report laying out the processes necessary in establishing a nuclear power plant.

“Phase two will involve preparatory work to invite bids for the development of a nuclear power plant,” he said.

Phase three of the project will move to implementation that will result in the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Kenya.

Mr Otwoma said NEDP will conduct country wide civic education on the project before its implementation.

He added that comprehensive consultations will be carried out before the site of the nuclear power plant and related facilities is picked.

“The selection and evaluation of the site for a plant are crucial parts of establishing a nuclear power programme and can be significantly affected by costs, public acceptance and safety considerations,” he said.

Mr Otwoma said the 4,000MW nuclear plants in units of 1,000MW will be constructed at a cost of $4,055 per kilowatt.

Ms Winfred Njiraini, assistant director Economic and Generation Mix Assessment at NEDP, said a 1,000 MW plant will cost about $4 billion (Sh360 billion) making the cost for the 4,000MW to be $16 billion (Sh1.4 trillion).

Mr Don Kovacic from the Department of Nuclear Energy at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the government must pay attention to a number of issues before implementing a nuclear power plant.

“These milestones include radiation protection, locating a site and supporting facilities, emergency planning, security and physical protection, nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste,” he said.

Mr Kovacic said other milestones include the project being accepted by all stakeholders, a nuclear safety regime being put in place, identifying funding, coming up with legislative and regulatory framework, human resource development.

After Kenya does a self assessment the IAEA, if invited, can send an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review Mission.

Mr Philip Mutai, the Director-Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the NEDP said the first step to entrench nuclear energy in the Kenyan legal regime is to review all relevant legislation bearing on nuclear energy use.

The most notable include the Energy Act, Radiation Protection Act, Physical Planning Act, Standards Act, Water Act, Environmental Management and Coordination Act, Devolved Government Act, Public Procurement and Disposal of Goods Act, Occupational Safety & Health Act, Local Government Act and provisions of the proposed Land Commission.

“Kenya is also expected as a prerequisite to ratify certain international conventions and protocols as a member of IAEA,” he said.

He added that this will serve as a demonstration that the country is keen to develop nuclear power plants.

The protocols to be ratified by Kenya include, Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the IAEA, The Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, the Convention on assistance in the case of a Nuclear Accident or Regulatory Emergency, Convention on Nuclear Safety, Joint convention on the safety of Spent Fuel management and on the Safety of Radioactive Safety Management.

He said NEDP with the advice of the National Council for Science and Technology is in the process of drafting a comprehensive legislation on nuclear energy.

Mr Mutai said Kenya has already ratified the following international conventions and protocols; the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, additional Protocol under the Nuclear non-proliferation Treaty, the Small Quantities Protocol under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials.