Let’s adopt nuclear power for affordable and reliable energy source

By
Dennis Osei Gyamfi, GNA

Accra, July 6, GNA – Dr. Robert Bright Mawuko
Sogbadji, Deputy Director, Nuclear and Alternative Energy on Friday said it is
about time Ghana adapts the use of Nuclear power since it is safe and
affordable.

“The reason to opt for the Nuclear option is
that, it helps to deepen the diversification of the present generation mix,
reduce the national greenhouse emissions, reduce detrimental environmental
impact, as well as reliable and cost effective enough to serve as the base
load”.

Dr Sogbadji said this in a presentation in
Accra at boot camp organised by State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom on
Nuclear Energy and Benefits of nuclear science and technologies development for
Ghana.

Dr Sogbadzi said, it has become more necessary
for Ghana to be interested in the nuclear power because currently there were
energy generation deficit in Africa, adding that, there was also a need for
high base load for industrialization.

He noted that nuclear energy was vital for the
country’s economic development since it provided stable cost of power and gave
energy security.

He said South Africa, had two nuclear plants
and Egypt was currently establishing four units of 1200 megawatts each costing
about $20 billion to boost their industry power supplies.

“We are looking at energy demands for the
future, we have considered renewables, we have considered thermal and we are
considering nuclear power plants, because we will be doing one district one
factory and industry always operate on cheap power and if you don’t have cheap power,
industries, will move to a place where there is cheap power, like the way we
have in China. Industry moved from Europe to China and China was able to
grow,” Dr Sogbazi said.

He disclosed that the country had started
process to implement a nuclear policy by 2023.

He noted that, a timely implementation of the
nuclear policy, would go a long way to fulfil the country’s quest to provide
secure, reliable and clean energy for sustainable national development and to
also achieve the vision of being a net exporter of electricity to sub-region.

Dmitri Shornikov, Chief Executive Officer at
Rosatom Central and Southern Africa, noted that after more than five decades,
Ghana is getting ready to become third African country that generates its
electricity from nuclear power.

“Nuclear provides the world with clean, safe,
affordable energy and innovations. I am proud to say that in fact nuclear
contributes substantially to the sustainable development of society: it
improves people’s lives, creates new opportunities and protects the
environment,” he said.

Shornikov said countries like South Africa who
have adapted the, nuclear policy had 7 per cent of the country’s grid generated
from nuclear energy and had resulted in relatively cheap power for both
domestic consumers and industries compared to Ghana and most countries on the
continent.

He noted that there are about 450 nuclear
plants in the world in about 30 countries, which generated 11 per cent of the
world’s electricity and advised Ghana worked 
aggressively to make its nuclear policy a reality.

GNA

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