Kenya Seeks Nuclear Power Infrastructure 180
New submitter Snirt writes "Kenya is seeking to develop a viable nuclear energy program within the next 15 years to meet its growing energy demands. A government commission formed last year is conducting a feasibility study and the University of Nairobi is setting up programs to train people for the nuclear program. Critics say they're concerned about plant worker safety and the risk of environmental contamination. Some 86 percent of Kenyans do not have access to electricity, relying on firewood and kerosene to meet their energy needs. Electricity is expensive(1$=KES 90), and the supply is limited."
Proximity to Somalian pirates... Sigh. (Score:4, Insightful)
Proximity to the Somali pirates (http://www.google.com/search?q=somali+pirates)... Sigh.
How fun isn't that compared to other nuclear wielding states.
Still, "Kenya optimistic for Somali peace prospects": http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-01/09/content_14405037.htm [chinadaily.com.cn]
Why not solar? (Score:0, Insightful)
Solar is a perfect fit for this climate. New nuclear facilities should no longer be built and remaining facilities should be converted to solar.
Definition of irony (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Why not solar? (Score:1, Insightful)
and you're an idiot
Re:Expensive? (Score:5, Insightful)
Care to try your napkin calculation again?
120 KES base rate /KWh for 1500 to 2000 KWh = 500x18.57= 9285
2 KES / KWh for the first 50 KWh = 2x50=100 KES
8.10 KES / KWh for 50 to 1500 KWh = 1500x8.10=11745
18.57 KES
Total cost of this hypothetical 2000 KWh /year use is: 21250 KES
21250 KES is roughly $245 US or 192 Euro
Now put that in perspective... this is a country where the average salary for an average job is about 15000 to 20000 KES per month (if you dont' believe me, then look at the job postings for Nairobi on websites such as http://www.bestjobskenya.com/ [bestjobskenya.com] You can get better paying jobs, but even top manager jobs top out around 80k/month). Imagine you were working an average job in Nairobi, and paying a little over one month of your before tax salary for electricity. Say you earn an average of about 35,000 Euro per year in Europe - then think about paying around 3000 Euro per year for your electricity. That's a significant portion of your take home pay. The same applies in Kenya. Electricity is VERY expensive relative to income... so much so that the vast majority cannot afford it, or cannot afford it except for only the most critical things (say charging a mobile phone (phones are super cheap in Kenya as is airtime) or running a single refrigerator).
Re:At least somebody is making sense (Score:5, Insightful)
Agreed, except that your nuclear-powered car is already here today and it is called "electric rail".
Re:Definition of irony (Score:5, Insightful)
Nuclear is most expensive option (Score:3, Insightful)
if Kenya wants cheap electricity, then nuclear is the worst option. It only appears cheap because of massive government subsidies.
According to a report by the Union of Concerned Scientists:
"Government subsidies to the nuclear power industry over the past fifty years have been so large in proportion to the value of the energy produced that in some cases it would have cost taxpayers less to simply buy kilowatts on the open market and give them away"
http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_power/nuclear_power_and_global_warming/nuclear-power-subsidies-report.html [ucsusa.org]
Re:Four killed in rocket attack on vehicle in Keny (Score:4, Insightful)
Bribes within Kenya is a concern. But the Somali border is even more worrying
True. Moreover, brazen attacks by Somali bandits in Kenya are scaring away the tourist trade, which makes a sizable dent in the country's finances. Tourism had already been hit by the violence after the 2008 elections, but recent events, like the kidnappings of foreign tourists in Lamu, have made it even worse. It's really a pity because Kenya is a beautiful country(*) , and it has followed a fairly responsible path of conservation and sustainable use of their natural resources (especially compared to other African countries).
(*) Seriously, if you're planning a vacation, consider an African safari. It's a very special experience. Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa are good places, and the price isn't as exorbitant as you'd expect.
Re:A Kenyan perspective (Score:2, Insightful)
"They're using nuclear power as a front for developing weapons of mass destruction" - As a country that has suffered a terrorist attack on more than one occassion, why? In bad taste this. (Kenyan)
I think this is a joke aimed at percieved US paranoia and not at Kenya, ie., the idea that any country outside the "first world" that is interested in nuclear power must actually be hiding a weapons development program
Re:Why not solar? (Score:2, Insightful)
It's sad that Japan is ending its nuclear program. Maybe they can work out some power buying arrangements with Russia? But anyway, hope the Kenyans are successful with their nuclear program.
Re:Definition of irony (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Definition of irony (Score:4, Insightful)
An intelligent combination of capacitors, solar power, wind power, and so on can make a difference.
so, in Germany you have super-capacitors ?
How many billion € are you spending yearly to get less than 5% of consumption from "renewables" ? How many hundreds of € are you personally paying each month to maintain the "renewables" (look at your electricity bills and fuel bills, and see how much of that is taxes ) ? ... think a bit about it and you might realize that it's just what in US is very politely called "pork": corporate welfare for the 1%-ers.
More energy may help improve economy (Score:5, Insightful)
More to the point, I believe the thinking is that having a large supply of reliable, and relatively affordable power may help strongly stimulate the Kenyan economy, thus making it so that a lot more people can afford the electricity.
We know that energy is used to make stuff, transport it, and preserve it. It follows that access to affordable energy is required for any economy to grow. Too often our discussions about energy revolve around "creature comforts", but this is about more important things than air conditioning, televisions, and computers.
Made in Kenya? (Score:5, Insightful)
The electricity isn't expensive, the Kenyans are poor.
I'd imagine that the Kenyans are poor only because they don't make goods for export. The Balassa-Samuelson model [wikipedia.org] explains how lack of an export sector depresses the value of a currency.