Kenya could set up a second coal plant in Lamu after the government entered an agreement with Mozambique which will export coal and gas to Kenya.
“Mozambique is very wealthy in terms of gas and offshore wealth. […] We are going to be talking about how we can access this as part of powering both our economies,” Monica Juma, Cabinet Secretary Foreign Affairs said.
This development comes at a time when Amu Power Company, which consists of Centum Investment, is planning to build a coal plant in Lamu which will add 1,050 megawatts to the national grid.
However, before the shipment of coal and gas can be transported from Maputo to Kenya, the works on the port of Lamu will first have to be completed.
The Pollution Risk
Despite complaints from environmental groups such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and locals, the plans to turn to coal as an alternative source of energy are still on-course.
That said, Kenya is determined to practise a balance between non-renewable and renewable energy with the aim of promoting clean energy by 2030 and industrialisation. The state is also set to join the proposed Clean-Coal Alliance whose objective is to share technology on burning coal while producing very little smoke.
Ergo, Kenyans and the world will be watching to see how the Kenyan government balances increasing energy production while still protecting the beautiful tourist destination of Lamu.
