Ghana to select firm to build country’s first Nuclear Power Plant by December

French, Russia and Chinese firms have been shortlisted to build Ghana’s first nuclear power plant

South Korea’s Kepco and its subsidiary Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Corporation as well as Russia’s Rosatom were also competing for the contract expected to span the next decade.

What They’re Saying

“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,” Robert Sogbadji, deputy director for power in charge of nuclear and alternative energy told Reuters.

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Ghana started considering building a nuclear power plant in the 1960s but the process was derailed by a coup. It revived the plan in 2006 with the International Atomic Energy Association’s assistance, following a devastating power crisis that year.

Sogbadji said the government has already secured a site with capacity to accommodate up to five reactors. He added that it would prefer a “build, own, operate and transfer” arrangement with room for local equity holding.

The Big Picture

Ghana, like other African countries, is increasingly looking to the possibility of nuclear power to close supply gaps in a continent where over 600 million people lack access to electricity.

Burkina Faso and Uganda have both signed agreements with Russia and China to construct their first nuclear power plants.

Kenya, Morocco, and Namibia are also working to add nuclear to their energy mix.

South Africa, which operates the continent’s only nuclear plant, is looking to add 2,500 megawatts (MW) of power from the resource amid severe power shortages.

Why This Matters

Sogbadji said Ghana aims to add about 1,000 megawatts of power from nuclear to its electricity mix by 2034.

The country is currently grappling with power outages and has 5,454 MW of installed capacity, of which 4,483 MW is available, according to its energy regulator.