Ghana Takes A Step Closer To Nuclear Power After Iaea Review

Ghana's dreams of generating nuclear energy have taken a step closer to becoming a reality after the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA completed a mission to review the country's process for selecting the site of its first nuclear power station.

Nuclear Power Ghana, the parastatal company in charge of developing the country's nuclear ambitions, chose the coastal location of Nsuban in the Western Region as its preferred site for a power station in September 2023. It named Obotan in the Central Region as a backup option. The IAEA review endorsed NPG's process for selecting these sites.

"Ghana followed the IAEA safety standards while performing the site selection process," said Kazuyuki Nagasawa, the IAEA's senior nuclear safety officer, who led the eight-day mission.

"We confirmed that both the implementing organisation and the management system are well-designed with the support of the government and that the Site Approval Report has been systematically and thoroughly prepared."

The thumbs-up from the IAEA is significant, since countries developing nuclear energy depend on the IAEA's support to access technological cooperation from other countries. IAEA approval is also a prerequisite for attracting finance.