An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission team on Monday 23rd January 2017 lauded Ghana for its considerable progress in the development of its nuclear power infrastructure.
The team, comprising international experts climaxed an eight-day mission into the country to review the country’s infrastructure development for a nuclear power programme.
The Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review Mission (INIR) of the IAEA engaged the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and its stakeholders. Their mission was carried out at the invitation of the government of Ghana.
The lack of consistent electricity supply severely hampers Ghana’s economic development. Ghana is therefore considering a potential role for nuclear power in the country’s energy mix.
Anthony Kenneth Scot, senior Nuclear Engineer of the IAEA and team leader told the press after the eight day mission that, Ghana has got the right roadmap towards a successful nuclear power programme.
He said the mission have made twelve recommendations to the Ghanaian government and that all the twelve issues are Important, adding that Ghana has shown promise to address all the issues.
Scot said the recommendations are in three thematic areas, namely the energy planning on how to incorporate nuclear power into the national grid, specific site among others; the second area has to do with the legal framework that would ensure continuous implementation of the nuclear programme and the third area is on how the planning of the nuclear plant would cry out.
Professor Benjamin Nyarko, Director General of the GAEC said his outfit and stakeholders would work immediately on the recommendations and suggestions. “After we’ve done that there’s a roadmap we would send to them and they would also bring their views and finally we develop the comprehensive repot to conclude the phase one”, he stated.
Prof. Nyarko said by the end of the year GAEC and its stakeholders would finish with all the phase one recommendation, adding that, out of the nineteen issues they have twelve recommendations and eight suggestions.
He explained that the recommendations borders on energy planning projections , consumption, cost, critical role of nuclear energy, infrastructure, megawatts capacity on whether to opt for 500 MW or 1000MW.
Mr. Wisdom Ahiataku Togobo, Director of Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy for his part said Ghana is prepared to utilize nuclear energy, noting that by 2025 Ghana should be able to use its nuclear energy to power its industries.
Togobo pointed out that it would go a long way to address the nation’s power problems and help in the industrialization drive of the nation.
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