Kenya announces roadmap for first nuclear reactor

• a month ago (2024-03-26)
• David Flin

Africa 303 Nuclear 640

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Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), the State agency responsible for the country’s nuclear power programme, has said that Kenya will require at least $83 million as the initial cost of developing the country’s first nuclear research reactor in the first step towards future nuclear power production.

NuPEA said that it will request the amount from the Treasury in two tranches to help in meeting 40 per cent of the initial cost of the nuclear research reactor project. It said it will require $22.6 million in 2026 and $60.6 million in 2027 for the project, with the intention of starting construction in 2027. The agency says in the recently launched 2023-2027 strategic plan that the reactor will have wide applications in education and training, health, industry, energy, and research.

NuPEA said: “The main utilisations envisaged include: enhancing national research and development capabilities and intergovernmental collaborations; improving and encouraging industrial competitiveness; enhancing material structure study for various applications; quality in material design and manufacturing; production of radioisotopes for medical and industrial applications; improving calibration and testing services for industrial and medical instruments; and education and training of students and staff of various institutions.”