The US and Russia compete with China, France, and South Korea to build Ghana’s first nuclear power plant.
Ghana will choose a business by December to build its first nuclear power station, with competitors including France’s EDF, U.S.-based NuScale Power, Regnum Technology Group, and China National Nuclear Corporation, according to Reuters.
South Korea’s Kepco and its subsidiary Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Corporation, as well as Russia’s ROSATOM, are all fighting for the contract, according to Robert Sogbadji, Deputy Director for Power in charge of Nuclear and Alternative Energy.
“The final pick will be approved by the Cabinet. Sogbadji stated that the financial model and technical specifications will determine whether a single vendor or two nations are involved.
Ghana began construction of a nuclear power facility in the 1960s, but the project was halted by a coup. Following a disastrous power outage in 2006, the idea was restarted with the help of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Ghana is one of several West African countries looking to nuclear power as a low-carbon energy option to increase access to electricity on a continent where more than 600 million people still lack it.
Burkina Faso and Uganda have inked agreements with Russia and China to build their first nuclear power facilities. Kenya, Morocco, and Namibia are also exploring nuclear energy for their power grids.
South Africa, which operates the continent’s only nuclear reactor, intends to add 2,500 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy to meet persistent electricity shortages. Sogbadji indicated that Ghana intends to add approximately 1,000 MW of nuclear power to its electricity mix by 2034.
Ghana is now experiencing power shortages and has a total installed capacity of 5,454 MW, with 4,483 MW available, according to its energy authority.