KENYA CANNOT MEET ENERGY DEMAND WITHOUT NUCLEAR POWER.

2 Oct (NucNet): The growing energy demands of Kenya’s 40 million population cannot be met or sustained without the addition of nuclear energy, the executive chairman and chief executive officer of Kenya’s Nuclear Electricity Board has said. George Mbogo told an International Atomic Energy Agency conference on nuclear power infrastructure that Kenya’s current installed electricity capacity of approximately 2,000 megawatts is predominantly sourced from hydro and fossil fuel sources. He said a pre-feasibility study for embarking on a nuclear power programme, prepared with support from the IAEA, is providing Kenya with the information it needs to make a “knowledgeable decision” about the implementation of nuclear. Mr Mgobo said Kenya is establishing a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for its planned nuclear programme, and considering potential funding and financing options. The IAEA said it has been asked to carry out an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission to Kenya in August 2015. INIR missions, which are voluntary, review the infrastructure status of a potential nuclear nation through interviews, site visits and document reviews, providing suggestions and recommendations in a report. Last year the IAEA called on Kenya to establish a robust and independent nuclear regulator as part of its plans to build its first nuclear power plant. During a visit to the African nation, IAEA director-general Yukiya Amano said Kenya is planning to introduce nuclear power in the next decade and the agency would continue to work closely with the Kenyan authorities to help establish a nuclear power programme that would be safe, secure and sustainable. Malaysia told the conference that it is exploring the nuclear energy option to meet future electricity demands and diversify its energy mix as part of its Economic Transformation Programme. Mohamad Mohd Ali, from the Malaysian Ministry of Science and Technology, said Malaysia was “optimising IAEA and international cooperation” for a new nuclear power project, although the country has not yet made a final decision. Follow NucNet on Twitter @nucnetnews Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/nucnet Find us on LinkedIn: NucNet To contact the editor responsible for this story David Dalton at david.dalton@nucnet.org Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers): IAEA Urges Kenya To Establish ‘Robust And Independent’ Regulator (World Nuclear Review No.51, 27 December 2013) Source: NucNet Editor: David Dalton © NucNet a.s.b.l Brussels, Belgium