Ghana will decide by December on a company to build its first nuclear power plant.
The contenders are France’s EDF, U.S.-based NuScale Power and Regnum Technology Group, China National Nuclear Corporation, South Korea’s Kepco and its subsidiary Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Corporation, and Russia’s ROSATOM.
“Cabinet will approve the final choice. It can be one vendor or two nations; it will depend on the financial model and the technical details,” said Robert Sogbadji, Ghana’s deputy director for power in charge of nuclear and alternative energy, while speaking to Reuters on Monday.
Ghana first considered nuclear power in the 1960s, but a coup disrupted the plan. The initiative was revived in 2006 with help from the International Atomic Energy Agency following a severe power crisis.
Initially, 16 countries and companies showed interest, but a technical team led by the energy ministry has narrowed it down to five.
Ghana is looking to use nuclear power to address energy shortages, a common issue in Africa, where over 600 million people lack access to electricity.
Burkina Faso and Uganda have signed agreements with Russia and China to build their first nuclear plants, and countries like Kenya, Morocco, and Namibia are also exploring atomic options.
Furthermore, South Africa, which has Africa’s only nuclear plant, plans to add 2,500 megawatts (MW) of nuclear power due to severe power shortages.
Ghana aims to add about 1,000 MW of nuclear power to its grid by 2034. The country currently has 5,454 MW of installed capacity, with 4,483 MW available. Ghana, which exports oil, cocoa, and gold, expects nuclear power to boost industrialisation and increase energy exports to neighbouring countries like Benin, Ivory Coast, and Togo.
The government has secured a site that can hold up to five reactors and prefers a “build, own, operate and transfer” arrangement that includes local equity participation.
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