Ghana / Electricity: When the country turns to nuclear energy
By the end of December, Ghanaian authorities will have to choose between the French company EDF, the American companies NuScale Power and Regnum Technology Group, or the China National Nuclear Corporation for the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant.
In addition to these companies, the South Korean company Kepco and the Russian company Rosatom are also candidates for the contract, which is expected to span the next decade, according to Robert Sogbadji, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Energy in charge of Nuclear and Alternative Energies. « The cabinet will approve the final choice. It could be a single supplier or two countries, depending on the financial model and technical details ».
This project aims to add approximately 1.000 MW of nuclear-generated electricity to Ghana’s energy mix by 2034, according to Sogbadji. The country is currently facing severe power outages and has an installed capacity of 5,454 MW, of which only about 4,483 MW are available.
Besides Ghana, other African countries are also looking to invest in civilian nuclear power to increase their electricity capacities. These include Burkina Faso, Uganda, and especially Egypt. Egypt will soon have a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 4,800 MW, which is being built by the Russian company Rosatom.
It should be noted that since 2022, Ghana has been preparing for the launch of its nuclear power plant. To this end, it has identified 19 prerequisites, among which is the training of human resources. In this regard, it aims to form a consortium of institutions, which includes the Ho Technical University.
Accordingly, Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), the national agency responsible for the implementation and management of Ghana’s nuclear energy project, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ho Technical University (HTU) for the training of students in the field of nuclear energy.
