How Ghana can benefit from nuclear energy

Ghana has a long track record of efforts to create a stable energy mix with different energy sources. The country has gone through a number of phases starting with diesel generators and stand-alone systems to hydro energy dams and thermal stations powered by oil or gas.

Nevertheless, the evolution in energy mix made little to help to overcome regular fluctuations in the power supply. An electricity crisis, unfortunately, has already become one of the most pressing issues to be solved by Ghanaian government as the increasing demand by industrial sector and developing infrastructure needs sustainable and secured energy sources.

The Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) in 2014 estimated that Ghana would lose between $320 million and $924 million per year in productivity and economic growth respectively due to the power crisis.

This power crisis has different manifestations. Firstly, not every Ghanaian citizen has an access to the electricity. According to a statement made by the then Ministry of Power, around 80% of population can enjoy benefits of electricity, and in rural areas, this figures are 60%. Indeed, in comparison with other Sub-Saharan countries that is sound data, but in order to sustain development it is not enough.

Ghana’s annual energy demand is set to grow by 10 to 15% when supply generally does not meet set targets and lags behind. The expanding industrial sector, rapid urbanization, the growth of the middle class, and growing incomes, together with overall population growth (about 2.3 % per annum), have become major drivers of increasing electricity demand.

Moreover, power crisis manifests itself in inadequate power supply infrastructure, over-reliance on thermal and hydropower and gas, high cost of fuel for electricity generation, transmission and distribution losses.

Currently Ghana relies on thermal plants, which cover main base load demand. At the same time hydropower is used as a load-following source of energy. Thermal power has grown from 330MW in year 2000 to above 2,000MW at present and will continue to dominate the national energy mix.

Overall hydro generation provides, approximately between 35% and 45% of the installed capacity and approximately 36% of energy supply. Further relying on rainfall to supply water to the dams to generate electricity may not be quite optimal due to changing climate patterns.

Thermal power plants fueled by oil and gas also have soft spots. One of the drawbacks of these stations is their inability to attain and sustain full and secured generation capacity due to limited and expensive fuel supply.

While Ghana has committed itself to universal electricity access and become a dynamic economy, the real challenge that the country needs to resolve is to ensure that energy supply is reliable and adequate.

In this case, nuclear energy development can be a perfect solution. Nuclear power is a cost-effective and reliable base load power source. In countries that opted for nuclear energy it has ensured uninterrupted power supply for 60-80 years at a predictable price which does not depend on the volatility of global prices for energy resources. For instance, if the price of uranium doubles, the final cost of electricity generated by nuclear power will only increase by roughly 5%, which cannot be said about conventional energy sources.

At the same time, nuclear energy is a key component of a clean and sustainable energy strategy. Today nuclear generation makes it possible to avoid the emission of over two billion tonnes of CO2 each year.

Nuclear energy can address the competing needs for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, economic development and energy security. A wider deployment of nuclear power will reduce the cost of achieving emissions reductions, and increase the chances of meeting climate change objectives.

Nuclear is recognized as a crucial mitigation technology and many more developing countries are planning to use nuclear generation to meet their emission reduction and energy supply objectives all over the world.

Today energy generation by nuclear power has proven to be one of the safest in the world. After Fukushima accident, modern nuclear plans have all necessary requirements set by the IAEA. In particular modern energy units have balanced mix of multi-level active and passive safety and security systems. One of the main features of modern reactors is its simple design which has a combination of active and passive safety systems which do not require the nuclear plant’s staff intervention in case of emergency for several days.

For instance, innovative Russian reactors have unique in the world passive heat removal system, hydrogen recombiners and active zone “core catcher”. This “catcher” is located in concrete vault under reactor vessel and ensures the melt localization, which excludes possibility of its spillover out of the reactor vessel at the plant under any circumstances. The evidence over six decades shows that nuclear power is a safe means of generating electricity. The risk of accidents in nuclear power plants is low and declining.

Nuclear power is the only large-scale energy-generating technology which takes full responsibility for all its wastes. Nevertheless, virtually the amount of radioactive wastes is very small relative to the waste produced by fossil fuels like coal and oil. Used nuclear fuel may be treated as a resource since it contains uranium and some other fissionable transuranium elements that can be recycled in nuclear reactors to produce energy.

Safe methods for the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste are technically proven. Some modern nuclear technologies are capable of reusing nuclear waste making it possible for nuclear industry to become non-waste industry at all. Russia successfully implements recycling of materials from once-used nuclear fuels thus saving the natural uranium resources.

Additionally, Ghana’s active development of nuclear industry can emerge high-tech clusters which would integrate different industries, advance in medicine, science and technology. All that will create well-paid jobs and attract foreign investments.

A sustainable energy mix with nuclear power will contribute immensely to the national economy and business to embark upon the way of dynamic progress, increasing their competitiveness and attractiveness on a global level. Nuclear power technology is widely recognized to be the prerequisite of sustainable energy development and this is in the focus of the International Nuclear Energy Agency Activity.

Ghana’s current electricity experiences are detrimental to economic growth and development. In order to combat the current energy challenge faced by country, Ghana needs access to affordable and reliable base load nuclear power.

Apart from securing sustainable, low-cost and clean energy, nuclear industry creates thousands of jobs in various fields. For instance the implementation of the Kudankulam NPP construction project in India has led to the creation of more than 10,000 jobs in the region where the plant operates, not to mention new jobs in equipment-manufacturing companies.

Globally, an average nuclear power plant generates nearly $16 million in local tax revenue per year. This has a direct benefit regarding development of schools, hospitals, roads and other important infrastructure.

Developing nuclear energy has other positive implications like foreign investments in technologies and innovations, improved terms of domestic trade and production.

Stable and balanced energy mix will allow Ghana to meet set targets of GDP and economy growth to become a strong emerging African economy and pioneer of new technologies development. In addition to that, introduction of nuclear power will definitely lead to increase of the national intellectual potential. It is the nature of this technology that combines recent achievements in science and engineering.

Ghana has already made significant steps forward towards nuclear energy. In 2008, Ghana's government officially announced plans to introduce nuclear energy. The Government has enacted its nuclear energy comprehensive law which allows for the establishment of an independent nuclear regulatory body, the Ghana Nuclear Regulatory Authority. Establishment of an independent national nuclear regulator is an essential prerequisite for the establishment of a nuclear power program.

The IAEA for its part in ensuring that all nuclear power programs are developed in a sustainably safe, secured and safeguarded manner has completed, in January 2017, a successful Phase One (1) Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review mission for Ghana, ahead of a government decision planned for 2018 on the introduction of nuclear power.

In June 2015, Ghana signed a nuclear co-operation agreement with Russia to enable the development of contractual and legal frameworks for co-operation between the two countries in the sphere.

It also enables the promotion of Russian technology in West African markets and the practical start of joint nuclear projects. This year Russian Rosatom nuclear corporation and Ghana’s Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) already held first meetings of the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) as part of implementation of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the peaceful use of atomic energy as of June 2, 2015.

The meeting agenda included all key issues related to the preparation for the implementation of Ghanaian own nuclear power program: infrastructure, staff training, financing, technical issues related to construction of facilities for the joint projects and regulation in the nuclear power industry.

All this proves that Ghana seriously considers the nuclear option as a vital prerequisite for sustainable and technological development. It also should be borne in mind that balanced energy mix will allow Ghana to become electricity export leader in the region and a role model for neighbor countries.

By:
Daniel Agyeman Wordson, Research Scientist and Manager, Nuclear Program Management Centre of Nuclear Power Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

Prof. Vladimir Artisiuk, Vice-Rector, Rosatom Central Institute for Continuing Education & Training.