In order to realize the development agenda stipulated in Kenya Vision 2030, studies have shown that the country will require more than 17,000 MW of electricity by 2030. Currently the country is generating more than 2300MW from various energy sources including hydro, geothermal, thermal and wind. Under the 5000MW plus initiative, coal and gas will be tapped alongside geothermal and wind. This will raise the country’s generation capacity to almost 7000MW by 2017. Be that as it may, the country would still have a deficit even if all the domestic energy resources such as geothermal were fully exploited. Thus the country would need alternative sources to help realize Vision 2030. Based on these premises, nuclear energy has been identified as a stable, efficient and reliable source of electricity that will produce base load power to steer industrial development, stimulate economic growth, create jobs and above all, better the lives and lot of Kenyans.
Studies have demonstrated that it is cheaper to generate electricity from nuclear energy than from crude oil. The crude oil discovered in Turkana will be more economical for export and foreign exchange earnings than for generating electricity locally.
The nuclear power programme will create jobs locally both directly and indirectly. Human resource planning shows that over 5,000 workers will be directly involved in design, siting, bidding and construction of the nuclear power plant, majority of whom will be drawn from the local labour pool. Other jobs will be created in affiliated institutions such as the regulatory body, research institutes and nuclear training centres. Indirectly, it is expected that increase in power generation capacity will trigger industrial growth therefore creating more job opportunities for local people.
According to the classification adopted by IAEA, small modular reactors have an electric power output of less than 300 MW; medium sized reactors have an electric power output of between 300 and 700 MW; and large reactors have an electric power output of between 700 and 1,700 MW.
Yes. Kenya will use internationally acceptable criteria for reactor technology assessment; Common User Considerations (CUC) and Utility Requirements Design (URD), which will define the country’s considerations for the reactor type. A nuclear reactor supplier will be required to meet the considerations before concluding contract negotiations. This will ensure that the country gets a suitable nuclear reactor for its power plant.
In order to realize the development agenda stipulated in Kenya Vision 2030, studies have shown that the country will require more than 17,000 MW of electricity by 2030. Currently the country is generating more than 2300MW from various energy sources including hydro, geothermal, thermal and wind. Under the 5000MW plus initiative, coal and gas will be tapped alongside geothermal and wind. This will raise the country’s generation capacity to almost 7000MW by 2017. Be that as it may, the country would still have a deficit even if all the domestic energy resources such as geothermal were fully exploited. Thus the country would need alternative sources to help realize Vision 2030. Based on these premises, nuclear energy has been identified as a stable, efficient and reliable source of electricity that will produce base load power to steer industrial development, stimulate economic growth, create jobs and above all, better the lives and lot of Kenyans.
Utoaji wa nguvu za umeme nchini Kenya kwa sasa ni wa takribani megawati 2300 .Kwa ajili ya utekelezaji wa miradi ya Dira 2030 kunahitajika utoaji wa megawati zaidi za umeme hadi zaidi ya 16,000MW chini ya kipindi cha miongo miwili. Wakati vyanzo vyengine vya utoaji wa umeme vinapowekwa pamoja havifikii utaji unaokadiriwa kufikia 2030. Je, jawabu ni lipi? Bila shaka, kuna uhitaji wa utoaji waumeme kwa njia ya nuklia.
Vyanzo vya Kenya vya utoaji wa kawi ya umeme ni pamoja na utumiaji wa nishati ya mvuke, upepo, maji kwenye mabwawa na kutumia miale ya jua.
Makaa ya mawe na gesi yatajumuishwa katika mradi uliyoanzishwa September 2013, unaopania kuongeza kiwango cha stima kwa megawati alfu tano kufikia mwisho wa mwaka 2016. Nuklia nayo ikijumuishwa mwongo mmoja kuanzia sasa.
Vyanzo hivi vya kawi vitasaidia vyengine vilivyoko kuimarisha utoaji huo ili kustawisha viwanda, kubuni nafasi za kazi na utoaji bora wa bidhaa. Mipango kabambe kama vile kuwa na mfumo wa reli wa kutumia nguvu za umeme, Mji wa teknologia wa Konza, mpango wa uchukuzi wa LAPSSET utakaounganisha Lamu, Sudan ya Kusini na Ethiopia, pamoja na miradi kibao ambazo ni msingi wa ruwaza 2030 zinahitaji viwango vikubwa vya kawi.
Hapana. Kwa uchache Kenya inahitaji kuongeza uzalishaji wa stima hadi takriban megawati 16,000 kufikia mwaka wa 2030 ikilinganishwa na utoaji wa sasa wa kama megawati 1,700. Hata ikiwa Kenya itaweza kutumia nishati ya mvuke kwa ujumla, ikiwa ni wastani ya kati ya megawati 7000 na megawati 10,000, bado kuna nakisi kubwa ya kawi. Kwa hivyo mpango ulioratibiwa kutoa megawati 4000 kupitia kawi ya nuklia kufikia mwaka wa 2030 ni mwafaka.
Kawi hiyo ni moja ya mipango ya utoaji wa nguvu za umeme isiyokuwa ya gharama kubwa. Hata hivyo nishati hiyo haiwezi kukidhi mahitaji ya umeme katika viwanda vikubwa vikubwa kwa vile kiwango chake ni cha chini mno. Aidha, hupatikana tu kwa muda, ama jua linapochomoza au wakati kuna kasi ya juu ya upepo.
Nguvu za kinuklia zinahitaji tahadhari ya hali ya juu. Misingi ya usalama ni muhimu na ni sharti yazingatiwe kwa umakini. Shirika la kimataifa la kawi ya kitonoradi (IAEA) lina miongozo thabiti kuzisaidia nchi zinazotoa kawi ya kinuklia. Kenya inaandaa misingi ya usimamizi bora huku usalama ukipewa kipaumbele.
Serikali inatoa mafunzo kwa wanasayansi chipukizi wa Kenya katika fani zote zinazohusika na kawi hii ya kinuklia.
Tangia mwaka wa 2012, kadri wanafunzi 16 wamesomea shahada za uzamili katika sayansi ya kinuklia huko Korea Kusini. Sita kati yao walifuzu mwezi February 2014.
Wanafunzi wengine wanasomea shahada za uzamili katika chuo kikuu cha Nairobi katika kitivo cha Sayansi na Teknolojia ya Nuklia. Hatua hii itaimarishwa katika kipindi cha mwongo mmoja ujao ili kuhakikisha kwamba Kenya ina wataalamu wanaohitajika katika nyanja hii.
Afua moja itakuwa ni kwa serikali kuugharamia mpango huu. Afua nyengine ni ya kupitia uwekezaji wa kibinafsi wa ujenzi wa kiwanda hicho na wafanyikazi wenye uzoefu na ujuzi. Na afua nyengine ni ya kutafuta usaidizi wa kifedha kwa njia ya mkopo.
Utafiti unaofanywa unalenga kubaini eneo mwafaka za ujenzi wa viwanda vya kinuklia nchini Kenya. Ni mambo mengi yanayozingatiwa katika utafiti wa kisayansi. Maeneo yatakayopendekezwa kisha yatachunguzwa kitaalamu kwa kina na ukete. Baadhi ya maswala yanayozingatiwa ni mazingira, uwepo wa vyanzo vya maji, uwezekano wa kuathiriwa na mtetemeko wa ardhi, na pia umbali na sehemu ambapo kawi hiyo itatumika.
Manufaa ya kwanza kabisa ni mapato kutokana na bidhaa na huduma. Pia, kutakuwa na ajira wakati wa ujenzi wa kiwanda na hata litakapoanza kuzalisha umeme. Fauka ya hayo kutakuwa na manufaa ya uimarishaji wa muundo msingi kupitia ujenzi wa barabara na asasi za afya na za maslahi ya kijamii. Na si hayo tu, faida nyengine itakuwa ni upatikanaji wa nguvu za umeme kwa bei nafuu.
Ndio. Kuvumbuliwa kwa mafuta ya petroli ni muhimu sana kwa Kenya kwani kutawezesha nchi kupata fedha za kigeni kutokana na mauzo ya mafuta hayo. Mapato hayo yatawezesha uboreshaji ya miundo msingi. Uvumbuzi huo, ukiambatanishwa na ujenzi wa kiwanda cha kinuklia basi unapiga msasa uwezekano wa kutekelezwa kwa Dira 2030.
Ufaransa inatoa zaidi ya asili mia sabini na nane ya nguvu zake za umeme kutoka kwa nuklia. Lakini Marekani ndiyo inayotoa kiwango kikubwa zaidi cha umeme kutoka kwa nuklia ulimwenguni kote. Japan, Russia, Korea Kusini, Ujerumani, Ukraine, Canada, China, Uingereza, Uswidi, Uhispania, Ubelgiji, India, Jamhuri ya Czech, Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Brazil, Afrika Kusini, Slovakia, Mexico, Romania, Argentina, Pakistan, Slovenia na Uholanzi ni miongoni mwa nchi zengine zinazotumia teknologia ya nuklia kuzalisha nguvu za umeme.
Afrika Kusini ina viwanda viwili vya utoaji wa umeme wa nuklia. Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Misri, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Tanzania, Uganda na Tunisia ni miongoni mwa mataifa yaliyo mbioni kupanga mikakati kuwezesha utumiaji wa nuklia kuzalisha umeme.
Viwanda vya kawi viwe ni vya makaa ya mawe, gesi ama nuklia, vinatumia mvuke kutengeza nguvu za umeme. Vinafanya kazi kama birika kubwa lenye maji yanayochemka. Joto hilo hugeuza maji kuwa mvuke unaozungusha mitambo mikubwa ya kutoa nguvu za umeme. Tofauti ya pekee na viwanda vyengine ni kwamba viwanda vya nuklia vinatumia madini ya uranium kama chanzo cha joto.