Letters

LETTERS: Kenya should stick to renewable energy sources

wind

Wind turbines in Marsabit County. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) has announced that it has contracted a Chinese firm, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), to determine the most suitable location for the construction of Kenya’s first nuclear power plant in the next eight to ten years.

The Chinese contractor has narrowed down the site to three possible locations in Lake Turkana, Lake Victoria and the Indian Ocean as the most ideal. The characterisation study will cost the taxpayer Sh1.5 billion while the total cost of building a nuclear power plant is estimated at $5 billion (Sh512.7 billion) and is estimated to take at least five years.

In September 2018, Kenya had postponed the plan to build the Sh968 billion nuclear power plant by nine years to 2036 in favour of renewable energy projects. The revised and updated least cost development plan 2017-2037 by the Ministry of Energy projected that the earliest the country can build the nuclear plant is 2036.

All energy sources were considered in the system expansion planning. It was noted that nuclear was not brought on board in both optimised and fixed medium term priorities (MTP) cases.

In a surprising twist of events, the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency has brought back the nuclear deal through the back door. The Ministry of Energy had indicated that nuclear power would not be considered unless other renewable energy sources such as hydropower, solar, wind, biomass, biogas, waste-to-energy and geothermal energy have been utilised.

This idea is supported by the fact that the country is enormously endowed with clean energy sources that are less polluting and can be utilised to meet the growing energy demands.

The rationale behind deprioritising the nuclear power production is well known; globally the nuclear industry is facing a decline. Nuclear power plants pose a substantial risk of accidents.

The updated least cost development plan acknowledges that nuclear power production technology entails neutrons bombarding heavy elements such as uranium. These materials disintegrate resulting in huge amounts of heat helping to produce steam and power through steam turbine operation and harmful radio-active material. Uranium ore is the raw material used in the production of nuclear power.

The water bodies identified as possible sites for the construction of the nuclear power plant poses danger to the marine environment. Recently, while commissioning the Kenya Maritime Academy, the President said the institution was key to developing the huge Kenyan blue economy.

A nuclear power plant does not promote a blue economy, it kills-marine life, livelihoods and lives. Release of radioactive materials would take place during the routine operation and maintenance, including long-lived radionuclides. There is also the potential for accidents where large quantities of radioactivity could be released into the marine environment.

These include the sinking of the power generation vessel during transit, resulting in the loss of the fuelled reactors and stored fuel elements. Leakage during operation could also lead to high emissions of radionuclides. These radioactive releases have the potential to disperse over large distances and to bioaccumulate, contaminating marine resources over a wide area.

Nuclear power does not have the possibility to make a real contribution to preventing a climate crisis. This project will divert money that could be better used to support renewable energy initiatives. Kenya is well positioned to be a global leader in renewable energy and can easily put the country on a path to transition to 100 percent renewable energy.

At the moment, renewable energy makes up over 70 percent of the country’s installed electric power capacity. The government should move away from dirty sources of energy such as coal and nuclear to clean and sustainable renewable energy options.

Renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal, provide Kenya with enormous opportunities to fight the climate crisis, meet Kenya’s energy demands for economic, environmental and social prosperity.

This will enable the country to achieve real energy independence and security without running the risk of degrading the environment, creating complex health issues for the citizens and betting on disasters. The government should reject any nuclear power deal in Kenya.

Fredrick Njehu, senior political advisor, Greenpeace Africa.