Kenya will begin constructing a nuclear power plant in 2027, the authorities have said in the latest pledge about the plans.
The 1,000MW plant, which has been in the pipeline for several years, is part of the country’s ambition to move to clean energy and increase energy generation.
Similar statements about the imminence of the start of the project have been made in the past.
The acting CEO of the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency Justus Wabuyabo told Kenya’s Business Daily newspaper that the agency is currently conducting site assessments and finalising preparations to open bids for the plant’s construction.
Mr Wabuyabo stated that the facility will be built in Kenya’s coastal region over a six to ten-year period, with the first plant opening in 2034 at the earliest.
Some Kenyans have criticized the plan, stating that a nuclear power plant is unneeded and that the government lacks the capacity to deal with radioactive waste.
“We have enough resources for hydropower, geothermal power, solar power, and wind power.” Worse, I don’t believe we have the capacity to ensure nuclear power plant safety or clean-up after a disaster,” one X, formerly Twitter, user stated.
South Africa is now the only African country producing commercial nuclear electricity.
Rwanda and Egypt, which is now developing a $30 billion nuclear power plant, are two other African countries that have begun nuclear energy initiatives.