Lamu Coal Power Station

Lamu Coal Power Station (proposed)
Proposed location of Lamu Coal Power Station in Kenya
Country	Kenya
Location	Lamu
Coordinates	02°09′13″S 40°54′12″E / 2.15361°S 40.90333°E / -2.15361; 40.90333Coordinates: 02°09′13″S 40°54′12″E / 2.15361°S 40.90333°E / -2.15361; 40.90333
Status	In development
Commission date	2020 (Expected)
Owner(s)	Amu Power Company
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	Coal
Power generation
Nameplate capacity	1,050 MW (1,410,000 hp)

As of June 2017, recent coverage has centred on the lack of economic viability and need for the proposed Lamu coal plant, citing a range of experts in news and analysis pieces. International accountability organisations also raised concerns in a series of global blog posts.

The proposed Lamu Coal Power Station is a potential 1,050 MW (1,410,000 hp) coal-fired thermal power station in Kenya. The proposed plant would be developed on 865 acres of land and feature a 210 meter tall smoke stack, which would become East Africa's tallest structure.

Kenya national government and media have been largely positive about the economic benefits from the coal plant activity. However, community advocates and some local government officials expressed concern over whether the benefits would be well distributed, whether the jobs would really materialise, and the lack of discussion over possible negative effects from the project.

The power station would be located on 975.4 acres (395 ha) in the Kwasasi area, about 21 kilometres (13 mi) north of the town of Lamu in Lamu County, along Kenya's Indian Ocean coast. This is approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi), by air, north-east of Mombasa. The driving distance is approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi).

Construction was expected to begin in September 2015 and last approximately 21 months. Once constructed, it will be the largest single power station in Kenya. The power generated will be transmitted to Nairobi, the country's capital, via a new 520 kilometres (320 mi), 400 kilovolt electricity transmission line. In the initial years, the station will utilize imported coal, mainly from South Africa, and later convert to locally sourced coal from the Mui Basin in Kitui County. In September 2016, Kenyan print media indicated that construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2016 and last 42 months. The plant will cause massive pollution according to various reports such as Dr .John Musingi PHD Senior Lecturer and Programme Co ordinator Planning Environment Planning and Management Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Nairobi University There is no demand for the proposed 1,050 Mw of power in Kenya to date or for the foreseeable future as Kenya is sufficient in energy generation at this time. Aside from this Turkana wind Powers 310 MW of power is still not connected to the national grid and will supply additional power to an already over supply in Kenya China is seen to be exporting second hand coal plants to Africa and the expense of the African Nations that take them on .Ernest Niemi, an economist and president of Natural Resource Economics, who has done studies on coal plants across the world for over 40 years, said operating the AMU power coal plant to produce electricity will be cheap for the developers but expensive as an energy source to consumers and detrimental to the society in general.