NAIROBI: The agreement also covers feasibility studies including safety analysis and environmental impact assessment. In addition, Kenya will obtain firsthand knowledge of China’s nuclear power technology.
Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board Executive Chairman Ochilo Ayacko says Kenya will obtain firsthand knowledge of China’s nuclear power technology following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding at the DayaBay Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province, southern China.
Kenya is yet to settle on the model of reactors for its nuclear power plants. The Hualong One reactor, which generates 1000MW of electricity, is among those under consideration as the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board continues with the technology assessment of nuclear reactor models available from various parts of the world.
China General Nuclear Power Corporation is China’s largest nuclear power operator with 14 reactors.
The company is currently involved in the construction of a dozen other nuclear power plants. The signing of the MoU comes hot on the heels of a review of Kenya’s nuclear power programme, which was conducted over an eight-day period last month by the International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts.
The IAEA team concluded that Kenya had made significant progress in its preparations to make a knowledgeable decision about introducing nuclear power.
Kenya plans to set up a first nuclear power plant with a capacity of generating 1000 megawatts by the year 2025.
This is expected to rise to a total of 4,000MW by the year 2033 making nuclear electricity a key component of the country’s energy mix that is projected will at 19,000 megawatts by then. Currently, Kenya has an installed capacity of 2,298 megawatts.
