Officials from Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) said the country is on track to start construction of its first nuclear power plant in 2027. The group said at a parliamentary hearing this month that the facility would start generating energy in 2034. the latest from an African nation, as more countries on the continent consider building nuclear power plants to provide electricity amid growing energy demand. Rwanda signed an agreement last year with Canada’s Dual Fluid Energy for a test reactor that would use liquid fuel and lead coolant, resulting in less radioactive waste, the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board said in a statement at the time. Officials said the country aims to generate at least 1 GW of nuclear power by 2031. Winnie Ndubai, NuPEA director of strategy and planning, told the Kenyan Senate Committee on Energy that two coastal sites are being considered as potential sites. Local media have reported that the proposed factory would be built in Kilifi County, a region known for its beaches and dense mangrove forests, and one of the country’s top tourist destinations. Ndubai said officials were still working on a regulatory framework for nuclear energy in the country.
Koeberg remains South Africa’s only nuclear power station. The two pressurized water reactors produce a total capacity of 1,860 MW. The factory is located in Duynefontein, approximately 27 kilometers north of Cape Town. Courtesy: Eskom The 1,860 MW Koeberg power plant near Cape Town in South Africa is the only operating nuclear power plant on the African continent. Russian state-owned Rosatom is constructing the four-unit El Dabaa power plant in Egypt, with the first of four VVER-1200 reactors expected to come online in 2026. Government officials in Uganda said last week that the country is pursuing plans to build an 8.4 GW nuclear power plant in the eastern district of Buyende. The country said it is working on a nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia. South Korean energy companies have also said they want to export their technology to Africa.
Kenyan officials have said the country needs nuclear power to meet its long-term energy needs. The Ministry of Energy has estimated that Kenya’s energy demand could increase 20-fold by the middle of this century due to rapid industrial development. The country currently generates about 90% of its electricity from renewable sources, including geothermal energy, hydropower, wind energy and solar energy. Local media said earlier this year that the nuclear power plant would be a 1,000 MW facility costing about 500 billion Kenyan shillings ($3.7 billion). Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi said in August this year that a research reactor would be commissioned in early 2030. “Kenya aims to be a leader in clean energy. Kenya is focused on advancing nuclear technology as part of Kenya’s sustainable energy strategy,” Mudavadi said in a statement. Questions remain about the viability of nuclear power in Kenya as the government has yet to release detailed plans for a power plant. Officials have also not announced a contractor for the project. Some groups, including Greenpeace, have said no nuclear power plant should be built, and are calling for more investment in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. The Kenya Anti-Nuclear Alliance said in a statement earlier this year: “Rather than pursue a nuclear program that endangers the lives and livelihoods of our people, we urge the government to invest in renewable energy sources that are safer, cleaner and more sustainable. more sustainable.” Kenya, together with Nigeria, joined the ‘Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy’ at the recent United Nations COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. The strategy is a pledge to increase global nuclear energy capacity by 300% by 2050. Ghana and Morocco, two other African countries, signed the declaration at its launch last year. —Darrel Proctor is a senior editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).
