Antony Gitonga reports that Kenya is targeting 2,600 MW from nuclear energy by 2033 as one way of meeting increased power demands. According to the Energy Regulatory Commission - ERC, the country will have an installed power capacity of 24,674 MW by then. Geothermal power has been identified as the pillar project for the project which will see Kenya turn into an exporter of electricity. Of the project capacity, geothermal will be leading with 7,264 MW which will account for 29.4 percent with coal following at 5,400 MW - at 21.9 percent. According to ERC director in charge of economic regulation Dr John Mutua, the country was slowly shifting from hydro via dams to geothermal which is reliable and sustainable.
We project that come 2033 we shall have 2,600 MW from nuclear energy, 3,960 MW from gas turbines and 2,180 MW from wind, he said. On fuel prices, the commission noted that Kenya was one of the countries with cheapest prices in the region despite the World Bank report that consumers were paying Sh 15 more. Mutua noted that consumers in Australia were paying Sh 42 per litre of petrol, US Sh 43, Malaysia Sh 51, Kenya Sh 81 with Ugandans paying Sh 106. A study done recently indicated that Kenyans have fair petrol prices compared to countries like Denmark where motorists pay Sh 158 per litre, Germany Sh 138 and UK Sh 154, he said. He added that in the U.S., four percent of deaths reported were caused by air pollution noting that the cases could be higher in Kenya, but he did not mention China.
We are deeply concerned by an increase in air and indoor pollution in the country mainly from Industries, he said. But he did not mention their use of coal.
Original working URL: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2000154173/energy-ministry-shifts-focus-to-nuclear-energy
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