By Emelia B. Addae
Koforidua, Jan. 31, GNA – Dr. Robert B.M. Sogbadji, Deputy Director, Nuclear and Alternative Energy of the Ministry of Energy has allayed the fears of the public that nuclear power is a safe and reliable source of energy.
He said nuclear energy had bad childbirth as this energy was first harnessed in World War II and in 1980’s, Chinobyle but in this modern time and technology, safety measures have been put in place to abate all incidents that could occur during operation.
Dr. Sogbadji was speaking with the Ghana News Agency, to counter the assertion made by some group of African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that the construction of nuclear power plant in Ghana has enormous risks and is not safe.
A recent publication dated January 23, 2025, read that the campaign against the construction of a nuclear power plant, according to the CSOs, is due to the enormous risks and consequences associated with the operation of a nuclear power plant.
This, he countered that ” Nuclear energy just like any other energy source has its pros and cons, there is no energy source in the world that is safer than the other, neither solar, wind, hydro or coal.”
” If you take solar, the semiconductors which are being used, and the chemicals are very poisonous. Coal also produces methane gas that causes explosions in mines,” he mentioned.
He said the nuclear power plants being introduced to Ghana can shut down safely due to their passive safety inherent feature. These are the generation three (G3) and generation three plus (G3+) nuclear technologies.
Nuclear power is one of the major sources of affordable electricity that most developed countries rely on to reprocess their raw materials and send the finished products to Africa and Ghana.
He cited that, countries like Germany that have shut down their nuclear power plants is importing electricity from France and other countries that use nuclear.
These countries are generating electricity using nuclear power which indicates that it is one of the economical ways for countries to advance.
The Deputy Director said, ” most of the new nuclear power plants now come in smaller modules, known as the small modular reactors and they come in sizes of 100 – 70 megawatts.”
” In this modern time of safety, nuclear accident is limited especially in Ghana where we collaborate well with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he reiterated.
He said under the Ghana nuclear power programme, the country will ensure that decision making processes, assessment, regulations, and other nuclear power related issues are open to the Agency for review and approval.
He said there was no secrecy in our nuclear power programme and anybody can approach the Ministry of Energy among other agencies, to ask questions about the nuclear power plant programme and construction to clear any doubt and fears.
On his part, Dr Steve Manteaw, Co-Chair of the Ghana Extrative Industries and Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) entreated the Energy Ministry, and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission to take enough precautions in choosing the site for the nuclear power plant construction to avert any potential danger.
“It should not fall in earthquake zone but where the geology is favourable,” he emphasized and added that nuclear power is cost effective and considered as a clean energy source.
Ghana started its nuclear programme in the 1960s and rejuvenated it in 2005 when the power crises was unbearable to Ghanaians.
Over the years, the Ghana nuclear power programme has established two nuclear institutions in addition to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, namely; the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Ghana and the Nuclear Power Ghana Limited.
Ghana aims to establish a maximum capacity of 2.4GW of nuclear plants by the mid 2030s to diversify the electricity generation mix. The government sees nuclear energy as vital for decarbonisation, enhancing energy security and potentially generating electricity for export revenue.
GNA