Counties proposed to handle nuclear disasters

In a move likely to reignite debate on the appropriateness of nuclear power in Kenya, a new energy policy is proposing to hand the critical role of disaster management on the yet-to-be-built nuclear power plants to county governments.

The draft National Energy Policy, currently under discussion by stakeholders, states that “the proposed Energy Bill shall provide for the county governments to set up disaster management units to coordinate disaster management …”

The policy and the Bill are expected to realign activities in the energy sector with the new Constitution where counties will be largely involved in managing energy projects.

The ministry of Energy has set an August deadline to put together the policy and the Bill, ready for tabling in Parliament.

If cleared to become law, the documents are expected to give guidance on operations in the energy sector which will be spearheaded by implementation of proposals made for each of the various energy sub-sectors such as electricity, wind, solar and nuclear energy among others.

But with the high risk in nuclear power generation, the question of the capacity at the county levels to deal with possible disasters arising from any negative impacts of production remains a concern.

Speaking to the Sunday Nation on the telephone, the Nuclear Energy Project Committee (NEPC) downplayed the concern, saying the national government will still be involved.

“The nuclear plants will remain as natural resources therefore all aspects of security will be a concern at the national level. There is a proposal to designate some responsibility to county governments but that interface of dividing roles between the county and national governments forms part of the ongoing studies,” said Mr Basset Buyukah, NEPC director for publicity and advocacy.

The first nuclear plant of 1,000 megawatts is expected to be commissioned in 2022 when the peak demand for power is projected to be 6,048 megawatts. Additional units of 1,000 megawatts each are expected to be commissioned in 2026, 2029 and 2031.

By 2030, Kenya hopes to source at least a fifth of its power needs from nuclear energy, helping to cut dependency on hydropower to less than five per cent. Currently hydropower accounts for more than half of the electricity generated in the country.

Already a committee set up in November 2010, whose chairman is Mr Achillo Ayako, is carrying out pre-feasibility studies that involve analysing different locations to establish the best suitable sites for setting up nuclear plants with preference being along large water bodies such as the coastal shoreline or near lakes.

The committee was set up following the adoption of introduction of a nuclear power programme as a national priority by the National Economic and Social Council, the body that advises the President on economic and social issues that need to be prioritised.

The committee is tasked with spearheading the development of nuclear energy for electricity generation to substitute local power production in a bid to meet the country’s long-term power demand.

So far the committee has received Sh500 million from the government which it has used to establish five departments and recruited 42 members of staff.

Some 15 students are undertaking masters degrees at the University of Nairobi and another six are at Korea International Nuclear Graduate School, South Korea, in partnership with the government at a cost of Sh140 million.

According to experts, it will require about 200 skilled staff in various aspects of nuclear power production. According to NEPC, creation of public awareness in the 47 counties will start in the last quarter of this year.

The pre-feasibility study will be conducted this year and the report is expected to be ready by April 2013 for Cabinet approval. It has also developed a concept paper for consultancy for legal and institutional framework of nuclear electricity in Kenya.

In addition to the county units, the proposed Bill will also allow for creation of a disaster response unit at the ministry of Energy to coordinate with the National Disaster Operations Centre on disasters in the energy sector.

It will also pave way for the creation of a disaster prevention and management fund in coordination with other relevant government agencies that will be managed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to cater for compensation arising out of environmental damage.

Such a fund would have been relevant for example last year when a fire broke out following a fuel leakage at one of the oil pipelines owned by the Kenya Pipeline Company that led to loss of several lives and damage to the environment.

Some of the energy generating projects within the ministry of Energy are risky businesses, thus the relevance of creating disaster response and management units within the ministry.

Should some of the proposals in the proposed energy Bill become law, the mandate to regulate and supervise nuclear energy development in Kenya will change from ERC to the Atomic Energy Commission.