GHANA is set to select a contractor by December to build its first nuclear power plant, with contenders including France’s EDF, US-based NuScale Power, Regnum Technology Group, and China National Nuclear Corporation, an energy ministry official announced.
Robert Sogbadji, deputy director for power in charge of nuclear and alternative energy, revealed that South Korea’s Kepco and its subsidiary Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Corporation, as well as Russia’s ROSATOM, are also in the running for the decade-spanning contract.
‘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,’ Sogbadji told Reuters on Monday.
Ghana’s interest in nuclear power dates back to the 1960s, but the project was halted by a coup. The plan was revived in 2006 with assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency following a severe power crisis.
Sogbadji mentioned that 16 countries and companies responded to the government’s request for vendors. A technical team led by the energy ministry has narrowed the list down to the current five contenders.
As Ghana aims to address its power supply challenges, it looks to nuclear power as a potential solution. The country plans to add about 1,000 megawatts (MW) of nuclear power to its electricity mix by 2034. This initiative aligns with trends across Africa, where countries like Burkina Faso and Uganda have signed agreements with Russia and China to build nuclear plants. Kenya, Morocco, and Namibia are also exploring nuclear energy options, while South Africa, the only African country currently operating a nuclear plant, seeks to add 2,500 MW of nuclear power amid severe shortages.
Ghana currently has an installed capacity of 5,454 MW, of which 4,483 MW is available. The nation, which exports oil, cocoa, and gold, anticipates that nuclear power will become its base load, facilitating quicker and broader industrialization and boosting energy exports to neighboring countries such as Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, and Togo through the West Africa Power Pool.
Sogbadji stated that the government has secured a site capable of accommodating up to five reactors. The preferred arrangement is a ‘build, own, operate, and transfer’ model with provisions for local equity holding.
