Accra, July 9, GNA – The United States Government has donated radiation detection equipment to the Ghana Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) to boost the country’s ability to detect, measure, and identify nuclear and radioactive materials.
The equipment, an HM-5 identiFINDER, valued at GH¢270,000 (approximately US$26,000), was handed over by Mr Rolf Olson, US Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., during a brief ceremony at the NRA offices in Accra.
Mr Olson said the donation formed part of the United States’ ongoing support to Ghana’s peaceful nuclear development and safeguards programme, aligning with international safety and security standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The NRA, mandated to regulate and control the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology in Ghana, will use the equipment to strengthen its capacity to detect and respond to radiological threats, and to fulfil its reporting obligations under the IAEA’s nuclear safeguards regime.
Mr Olson noted that the donation reinforced long-standing cooperation between the two countries in nuclear security and non-proliferation, led by the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA).
For over a decade, the DOE/NNSA, through its International Nuclear Safeguards Engagement Programme, had partnered with the NRA to support Ghana’s implementation of nuclear safeguards.
The partnership focused on strengthening Ghana’s nuclear legal framework, developing technical regulations, and providing hands-on training in non-destructive assay techniques for nuclear material analysis.
Mr Olson highlighted additional US support through the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) programme.
In January, the US established an E2 Center at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences in Accra, equipped with a NuScale small modular reactor (SMR) digital control room simulator.
The FIRST programme had also supported study tours to the United States and Japan by Ghanaian engineers and facilitated academic collaborations with the Texas A&M University to advance SMR curriculum development in Ghana.
Professor Francis Otoo, the Acting Director-General, NRA, received the equipment on behalf of the Authority and expressed appreciation to the US Government for its consistent support.
The device would significantly enhance Ghana’s technical capacity to detect and respond to nuclear material incidents and ensure the country’s compliance with international nuclear security protocols, he said.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe