Nuclear Energy: A Viable Option

The current energy challenges, which have visited our country at various times and seasons has afforded major stakeholders in the energy sector to consider various options to solving them.
In recent past, consideration of nuclear energy as an alternative power supply has been rekindled in Ghana and national interest in adopting this option has been heightened followinga cabinet decision in 2008, to introduce nuclear power into the country's energy mix following the recommendations made by a Presidential Commission when the country was hit by an energy crisis from mid-2006 to late 2007.

This conscious effort deserves commendation and total support by international donor agencies, governmental institutions, and all other stakeholders.

Ghana's Plans

Subsequently, strategic meetings have been held between the minister of Energy and Petroleum, Hon. Emmanuel Buahand Head of Africa section of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Dr.Dazhu Yang and the State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia –ROSATOM.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)has already pledged their support for Ghana in its quest to venture into that area, whiles Ghana is already assured of technical support for nuclear power utilizationbecause of itsbonafide membership status of the IAEA.

A nuclear power planning project was therefore initiated in 2009 in collaboration with the IAEA, leading to the establishment of a nuclear power unit at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in 2012 and the inauguration of eight technical groups in the same year to deal with all the issues associated with the planning and implementation of nuclear power programme in the country.

Currently, all necessary certifications have been obtained from the IAEA and the development of a legal and regulatory framework, site assessment and determination, as well as the finalization of techno-economic assessment and financing process is in progress as part of preparations towards the construction of the first Nuclear Power Plant in Ghana.

Ghana's Nuclear Energy Programme Implementation Organization (NEPIO), called the Ghana Nuclear PowerProgramme Organization (GNPPO) was inaugurated in September last year forming part of the first milestones required by the IAEA.

Also, a Bill on the establishment of an autonomous regulatory body, another prerequisite for the operating a Nuclear Power Plant, has been sent to parliament for approval.

Whereas with the ROSATOMdeal, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)was signed between the Ministry and ROSATOM in 2012 in which the parties agreed to establish a bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Plans are also far advanced and according to credible reports, discussions are now inching closer to legal teams of both entities to finalizing oncontent and agreement on a final Memorandum of understanding (MoU) for real work to take off.

Ghana's choice to adopting nuclear energy as one of the options for the way forward in solving its energy challenges is highly recommendable. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which has been at the forefront of global environment protection in a report last week, has called for a “massive shift in the energy sector” around the world, emphasizing the need for tripling the share of energy from zero-carbon sources such as nuclear, solar and wind by 2050.

The Volta River Authority, the major national energy producer has over the years shown forethought in this direction partly, by undertaken the 2 MWpsolar project in Navrongo which was commissioned in 2013. It must be however noted that, the Navrongo Solar Power Plant is the largest grid Photovoltaic (PV) plant in West Africa, besides those in Cape Verde. Plans are also far advanced to increase its capacity and also to start a wind power project to boast our national grid capacity.

Challenges associated with nuclear energy

There are obvious challenges in the running of atomic power stations around the world. The thought of these challenges alone has over the years fueled civil and public actions around the world against moves by countries such as Russia, China and USA, etcindesignating atomic power as an important long-term electricity source.

Most clearly of its attendant challenges are the potential safety risks, several years it takes to clean up its contamination in the case of a disaster and the vast amount of investment that it requires.

Positives for adoption of nuclear in our energy mix

Ghana's choice in adopting nuclear energy as one of its options is also in tandem with prevailing global trends and hence, it is indicative of the fact that, Ghana is moving in same innovative path with the developed world. In support of this assertion, one can cite a specific instance where the U.K.'s Department of Energy and Climate Change has signed a similar memorandum of understanding with the same, Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM), in September of 2013 to work together more closely on the development of commercial civil nuclear energy.

There is also the benefita drastic fall in terms of dependence on thermal power plants which translates into excessive carbon emissions with its resultant consequences on us all are greatly encouraging.

Some of the major polluters of man's environment are thermal power stations (TPS) and power plants, which discharge into the atmosphere the basic product of carbon fuel combustion, (CO2) which results in a build-up of the greenhouse effect and global warm-up of our planet's climate. This is mainly caused by the total dependence on either gas or fuel or both in running these thermal plants.

Hence, the advantage in designating nuclear power as an important long-term electricity source will therefore translate into less dependence on fuel and gas, as very limited of these are needed in operating atomic plants.The benefits are therefore dual, saving the environment and spending less on fuel and gas.

Conclusion

France for instance derives over 75% of its electricity from nuclear energy. This is due to a long-standing policy based on energy security. France is the world's largest net exporter of electricity due to its very low cost of generation (nuclear) and gains over EUR 3 billion per year from this.

Ghana can benefit from this as well, if the move towards the adoption of renewable energy sources is complimented by the use of nuclear energy in powering industries or homes, as Ghana looks into the future of solving its intermittent energy challenges which threatens its energy security.

In conclusion, Ghana must increase its capacity to generate energy, in order to prevent the shortages in energy supply which results in its intermittent load management programs and Nuclear power should be a significant part of the solution. There is therefore the need to fast track this process and get our first atomic plants in operation.

Tommy O'Dell Doku,

Is An Energy Communications Practitioner

And Senior Convener, Ghanaian Students' Energy Summit

[email protected]