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By George Agboklu
Accra, April 3, GNA – The US Department of Energy has selected Ghana as host country for a clean energy training Centre for infrastructure development in Africa.
The decision was made known by Ms Aleshia Duncan, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation in the Office of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy when she paid a courtesy call on the leadership of the Nuclear Power Institute (NPI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).
Ms Duncan was on a four-day official visit to Ghana.
The purpose of the visit was to familiarise herself with the activities of Ghana’s nuclear power programme and the progress made so far.
While in the country, Ms Duncan also called on the Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
Ms Duncan expressed the interest of the US Government in establishing a clean energy training facility in the country to help build the country’s capacity, and to help fight climate change by reducing the country’s carbon emissions.
“Some training programmes have already started as part of the plan to establish the training centre and plans are afoot also to establish the facility which would serve not only Ghana, but the entire African continent,” she said.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary explained that the modalities concerning the establishment of the training centre had been discussed with the Nuclear Power Ghana, the owner and operator of the plant, as well as the Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Nuclear Power Institute, the technical arm of the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organisation (GNPPO).
The meeting identified some key priority areas for training and development in support of the nuclear programme. It includes establishment of a cybersecurity research hub to improve the country’s capacity to deal with the challenges posed by the evolving threat of that domain.
The priority areas include also, a training and licensing regime for craftsmen to meet international standards, and a training facility and a nuclear reactor simulator to offer hands-on training to students and nuclear professionals,
Ms. Duncan reiterated the United States Government’s support for Ghana’s nuclear power programme and efforts made at improving energy generation in Africa.
Ghana is pursuing a nuclear power project as a critical component of the country’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP).
The ETP is a pathway towards transformation of the global energy sector from fossil-based to zero-carbon or clean energy.
Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), the established Owner/Operator of Ghana’s proposed Nuclear Power Plant(s), has successfully completed Phase one activities as required by the IAEA.
In Phase 2 of the Programme, it has made great strides in the required processes and as of September 2022, was making efforts to facilitate the public announcement of the preferred site, the technology Ghana has opted for, and the selected Vendor/Strategic Partner for the Project.
GNA
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