Ghana is making notable progress in establishing its first nuclear power plant, with two potential sites identified in the Central and Western regions. The country is considering proposals from two companies, one Chinese and one American, following cooperation agreements signed with each.
According to The High Street Journal sources, the Chinese company plans to generate power to feed into the national grid via the West African Power Pool, while the American firm proposes a novel approach. The American company aims to build a plant within an enclave that will be designated as Free Zone, where it will supply power to industries that will be attracted to locate in the area. The plant, to be situated near a large water body, can also use excess steam coupled to a reverse osmosis plant to desalinate sea water and produce clean portable water. Excess power could be sold to the government if needed.
Key institutions, including the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Authority, and Nuclear Power Ghana have been establish to execute the programme activities. The nuclear Power Ghana is evaluating the two proposals. They aim to reach a decision soon, with construction of the plant expected to begin soon. A key hurdle in the way of the project is Ghana’s ability to attract the needed financing for the project. Ghana”s current IMF programme places some constraints on new major financial commitments that the country can undertake.
The Chinese company plans to build two plants—each of a capacity of 1,100 megawatts. Nuclear energy, being cleaner and more cost-effective, comes with strict safety requirements due to its potential risks, and the teams involved are ensuring full compliance with safety standards.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is actively supporting Ghana in its efforts to deploy the nuclear plants.
