The government is sourcing funding for the construction of a nuclear power plant to support the country’s electricity production and provide more reliable and efficient energy to consumers.
Although the cost and the project sites are yet to be made public, Ghana is considering a partnership with the US to finalise the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to kick start the project.
The Director General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Professor Samuel Boakye Dampare, disclosed this yesterday in Accra, at a Ministerial Conference on International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC).
It brought together ministers of energy from Africa, high-level officials, nuclear energy representatives, and key stakeholders to discuss regional and international cooperation, and policies needed to advance nuclear energy programmes.
He said through the International Independent Atomic Energy, about 30 PhD students had undergone various skills abroad in nuclear and allied sciences programmes, as regulations governing the nuclear power plants had been completed.
Prof. Dampare said the government, through its relevant agencies, were considering whether to go in for medium or bigger nuclear plants, following the recommendation of the Commission and the Nuclear Power Institute.
He said in other to build strong institutions towards Ghana’s commitment for nuclear energy, the government, in 2015, established the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, as an independent body.
He said the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences which was jointly established by the Commission and the University of Ghana, was building the human capacity for the nuclear sector.
The Director General of Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), Mr William D. Magwood, said the agency was committed to supporting the government to take full advantage of nuclear technology.
He said the agency had been supporting countries such as France, Japan, United States, Korea, United Kingdom and many others, and that the agency was committed to strengthening collaboration with Ghana and other African countries.
Mr Magwood commended the government for its desire to adopt nuclear energy for the country, especially the establishment of the Nuclear and Allied Sciences, as well as agencies instituted to oversee the development of nuclear technology.
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, said Ghana was blessed with natural resources including gas and petroleum to exploit various sources of energy.
He said due to climate issues leading to the spillage of the Akosombo Dam, which rendered hundreds of people homeless in parts of the Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra regions, there was the need to consider nuclear power plant to support our industries.
BY BERNARD BENGHAN
