Albert Oppong-Ansah
Accra, Oct. 30, GNA – The maiden edition of the United States of America and Africa Nuclear Summit has opened in Accra with a focus on how Africans can leverage nuclear energy to boost industrialisation and economic development.
The three-day summit will among other topics discuss the establishment of a framework for safe, secure, and sustainable use of nuclear energy.
Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Senior Presidential Advisor, speaking at the opening, said the continent could develop its natural resources, expand its economy and provide for its citizens through effective international cooperation to develop a ‘green’ dense energy technology.
The Summit, which brought together participants from across Africa, international institutions, United States, United Kingdom, South Korea and Japan, industries, academia, and civil society organisations, was organised by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission’s Nuclear Power Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Mr Osafo – Marfo stated that research and practice had proven beyond doubt that nuclear technology could provide the needed ‘green’ energy for accelerated economic development.
“It is necessary to underscore the importance of the adoption of a Least Cost Alternative Technology with the features of Shorter Construction Time and also lends itself to Easy Grid Integration. This will maximise the benefits of the adoption of nuclear technology by African countries,” he said.
Nuclear energy, Mr Osafo-Maafo noted, had the capacity to help not only decarbonise, but to stimulate economic expansion, encourage innovation, develop human capacity and advance green and sustainable solutions.
He urged the regulators of the Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNBRA) to quickly ramp up their competencies to support the development of nuclear programmes.
The FNBRA must also consider the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) initiative on Nuclear Harmonisation and Standardisation in bridging the competency gap and accelerating the nuclear power plant licensing in a safe, secured and safeguarded manner.
Dr K. Michael Goff, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Nuclear, U.S Department of States, said nuclear technology was the largest source of electricity in the USA and that the country was preparing to triple it by 2050.
The US, he said, was approaching the targets by ensuring the continued operation of about 93 nuclear reactors, supporting and facilitating the deployment of more reactors, securing and sustaining nuclear fuel sites and expanding international nuclear energy cooperation.
Dr Goff said nuclear power created high quality jobs, provided stable, clean energy for communities and industries and enhanced energy security.
With nuclear energy, he said intensive energy processes, including water desalination, petroleum refinery, fertilizer production and mineral extraction were done easily at a reasonable rate.
“These tasks are performed effortlessly by big reactors with low or no negative impact on the environment,” Dr Goff said
He noted that the US was developing and deploying a variety of technologies, including generation of four reactors and small modular reactors.
Ghana seeks to add nuclear energy to its energy mix.
The programme is currently at the phase two of the project, with the Government expected to announce a vendor country later this year.
The Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) has selected Nsuban and Obotan as two potential sites to host the first nuclear power plant.
Nsuban in the Western Region is the preferred location, while Obotan in the Central Region will serve as a backup site to host the one-gigawatt nuclear plant by 2030.
Detailed technical assessments are being concluded at both locations to determine the preferred sites.
GNA