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Ghana will start to generate electricity from nuclear energy in 15 years, or 10 years if things go smoothly, a Ghanaian nuclear power program coordinator has said.

Expertise preparation for the country’s nuclear power program, from installation to maintenance, is underway, said Robert Sogbadjie, the national coordinator of the Ghana Nuclear Power Program Organization (GNPPO).

Ghana has decided to go nuclear for electricity generation because after acceding to the Kyoto protocol on global warming, it can only develop a limited number of thermal plants, he said in an interview with Xinhua here on Friday.

“Having analyzed the hydro potential available against the country’s growth rate with the quest to industrialize, there remains a huge potential deficit in power generation for the country’s use,” explained the coordinator, who also lectures at the Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.

Sogbadjie said that, unlike thermal plants, one single nuclear energy plant is able to produce between 600 megawatts (MW) to 1,000 MW of electricity.

In 2006, the Ghanaian government set up a committee headed by Prof. Adjei Bekoe, ex-chairman of Ghana’s Council of State, which recommended that the country include nuclear generation in its energy mix.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also been officially informed of Ghana’s desire to go nuclear in its energy generation.

Subsequently, the Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences was established to develop the requisite manpower base, not only for the country, but also for other African countries.

The school currently trains nuclear engineers and physicists, medical physicists and other related technical staff.

The GNPPO, chaired by Deputy Energy Minister Innusah Fuseini, was then created to supervise the country’s efforts to realize its dream of becoming a nuclear power.

The 27-member organization, Sogbadjie said, comprises of leaders of various nuclear energy-related work committees who help ensure a smooth implementation of the program.

He said the government hoped that the nuclear power would be exported and become the second highest foreign exchange earner for the country in the future.

After developing the requisite human resource base for the country, the scientist said, what the country needed to do next was to identify a proper site for installing a nuclear plant.

A new bill for regulating the sector has already been presented to the parliament for approval.

Ghana is now in talks with Russians, while the United States and other countries have also shown interest in building Ghana’s nuclear plant, he said. “So we shall weigh all the options when the time comes and choose the best for the country.”

Sogbadjie also noted that the IAEA, the international nuclear watchdog, is ready to assist the country in setting up its plant.

He believed that the 15-year target is the worst scenario since the country may begin to generate nuclear power within 10 years if the process starts early and goes smoothly.

The total installed capacity of the West African country, which has been experiencing electricity load shedding over the past three months, is expected to increase from 1,810 MW in 2009 to 2,443MW in December 2012, plus an additional 732.5MW of thermal generation.

This represents a 60 percent hydro and 40 percent thermal mix for the country which aims to tap into its abundant renewable energy potential.

Copyright 2012 Xinhua News Agency

http://www.power-eng.com/news/2012/11/24/interview-ghana-to-have-nuclear-energy-in-15-years.html

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Traces of uranium identified in tailings from Ghana gold mines

The acting Director of Ghana Atomic Energy Commission  (GAEC), Dr B.J.B. Nyarko, has said that the country stands the chance of striking uranium deposits in commercial quantities since there is an association between gold and uranium. He explained that a study of gold tailings at the Nuclear Research Reactor at Kwabenya revealed traces of uranium in pits in gold-mining areas in the country. Dr Nyarko said the research, carried out by GAEC, was not on a large scale and that a major prospecting and exploration was needed to establish the link. (MJFM Apr. 22, 2008)

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CNNC, China-Africa Development Fund to develop uranium resources in Africa

China National Nuclear Corp, the nation’s largest nuclear power plant builder, yesterday said that its subsidiary China Uranium Corp has signed an agreement with China-Africa Development Fund  to jointly develop uranium resources in Africa, sources reported. In a statement posted on its website, CNNC said that both parties will set up a joint venture in Beijing to invest in and develop uranium resources in Africa. (China Knowledge Sep. 2, 2010)

Russia and China consider joint exploitation of uranium deposits in Africa

The Chinese are interested in a cooperation with Russia on uranium production in third countries. “It is possible, we have mentioned African countries, in particular”, Rosatom head Sergei Kiriyenko announced. (RIA Novosti Aug. 30, 2010)

http://www.wise-uranium.org/upafr.html