This archive report was first published on 16 July 2019.
On July 16, 2019, Kenya's Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) announced plans to build the country's first nuclear power plant, with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts by 2027.
The agency has contracted a Chinese firm, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), to determine the most suitable location for the plant through a two-year Site Characterisation study.
The study, which is expected to cost taxpayers Sh1.5 billion, will identify the ideal site among the Indian Ocean, Lake Victoria, and Lake Turkana.
NuPEA chief executive Collins Juma explained that the agency has excluded the Rift Valley due to the need for sufficient water to cool the plant.
Kenya views nuclear power as a long-term solution to high fuel costs and an effective way to cut carbon emissions from the power generating sector.
Despite the ambitious timeline, NuPEA forecasts its capacity rising to a total 4,000MW by 2033, making nuclear electricity a key component of the country's energy mix.
