The United States of America (USA)’s Department of Energy has selected Ghana as the host country for the clean energy training centre for infrastructural development in Africa.
The facility, when completed, would help build the country’s capacity in clean energy, augment the fight against climate change by reducing the country’s carbon emissions as well as boost other climate efforts on the continent.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation at the Office of Nuclear Energy, US Department of Energy, Aleshia Duncan, announced this when she paid a four-day official visit to Ghana.
While in the country, she paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and the leadership of the Nuclear Power Institute (NPI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).
The purpose of the visit was to familiarise herself with the activities of Ghana’s nuclear power programme and the progress made so far.
Ms Duncan said some virtual training programmes had already started as part of the plan to establish the training centre and that plans were afoot to establish the facility, which would serve not only Ghana.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary said that the modalities concerning the establishment of the training centre had been discussed with the Nuclear Power Ghana, owner and operator of the plant, as well as the Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Nuclear Power Institute, the technical arm of the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organisation (GNPPO).
The meeting identified some key areas of training and development in support of the nuclear programme.
Some highlighted areas of development were the establishment of a cybersecurity research hub to improve the country’s capacity to deal with the challenges posed by the evolving threat of cybersecurity.
Other areas focused on training and licensing regime for craftsmen to meet international standards, a training facility to offer hands-on training to students and nuclear professionals, and the establishment of a reactor simulator facility.
Ms Duncan reiterated the US government’s support for Ghana’s nuclear power programme and efforts made at improving energy generation in Africa.
BY TIMES REPORTER
