Ghana settles on site for first nuclear power plant

By Edward Acquah

Accra, May 30, GNA – Ghana has settled on a preferred site and backup for the country’s first nuclear power plant.

The selection of the site, an important step in the second phase of the country’s nuclear power porgramme, precedes the selection of a vendor to construct the plant.

This was disclosed by Professor Seth Debrah, Director, Nuclear Power Institute, at a forum on Ghana’s Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development in Accra on Tuesday.

The forum discussed Japan’s nuclear power experience and the lessons to be drawn as the country prepares to construct its first nuclear plant by 2030.

Ghana’s nuclear programme has been justified on the need for alternate baseload power for industrialisation, limited hydro sources, postulated decline of gas, tariff reduction for industries, desalination, employment creation and climate change commitments.

Prof. Debrah said four candidate sites were initially selected for the construction of the nuclear power plant and after further studies by Ghanaian researchers, the team ranked the sites to settle on the first and the second being a backup.

“We need approval report from the regulator by the end of Phase 2. We also want to have a site evaluation report for construction permit at the end of phase 2. Construction will start at the end of phase 2,” he said.

Prof. Debrah said the team was working on a report on the preferred vendors and was hopeful that the report would be completed by the end of June this year for consideration by Cabinet.

He said it was necessary for the country to add nuclear energy to its energy portfolio to become a baseload energy source to support massive industrialisation in the wake of the dwindling traditional energy sources.

He said nuclear energy also supported the country’s decarbonisation agenda as it did not produce greenhouse gas.

“We need energy diversification. We need to leave a legacy for the next generation and industrialisation is the way to go,” he said.

As of 2021, hydro accounted for 38 percent of the country’s energy generation portfolio whiles thermal accounted for 60 per cent (making it the baseload). Solar and biomas contributed 1 per cent each to the energy mix.

Experts have raised concerns about the cost of power from thermal sources and there are fears that electricity prices may continue to go up if the country did not adopt cheaper energy sources.

It is estimated that 40 per cent of the production cost of industries goes into electricity tariffs.

Mr Andrew Egyapa Mercer, a Deputy of Minister of Energy, said the adoption of nuclear power supported plans by the country to totally switch from fossil fuels to clean energy by 2070.

“Inclusion of nuclear is part of Ghana’s medium term development plans. If we are to make significant gains in achieving reliable power, all options must be considered,” he said.

GNA

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