Go nuclear - Greenstreet tells Akufo-Addo

Sniper-turned scuba diver and presidential candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) for the 2016 elections, Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, has urged the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to seriously consider nuclear power by developing the country’s potential uranium deposits as part of the future energy mix.

The former CPP flagbearer, who spoke extensively about wind power during the 2016 electioneering campaign, gave this charge at Akwatia in the Eastern Region during the funeral of the party’s constituency chairman, Samuel Kwabena Agyei.

Mr Greenstreet, a scuba diver, has recently returned from a trip abroad where he narrowly escaped an underwater mauling by Carribean Reef Sharks while scuba diving off the coast of Bahamas.

Present at the burial were former parliamentary candidates and constituency executives from 11 nearby constituencies, as well as the regional first and second vice chairmen, Justice Kofi Henaku and Nana Owusu respectively.

The national organizer, Nene Emmanuel Kwao Ogborgor aka Opele was also in attendance.

Mr. Ivor Greenstreet stated that in South Africa gold tailings normally also contain uranium and they are mined simultaneously. “…There is a relationship between gold and uranium and this has been proven in Ghana by research done by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. Nuclear power reactors also require enriched uranium fuel,” he noted.

“Ghana,” he said, “has significant potential uranium deposits and global demand is set to increase by 40% with nuclear plants being completed in Russia, China and India, with Europe also set to renew its interest in nuclear.”

Great Consolidated Diamonds Ghana, located at Akwatia, has five concession blocks that contain diamonds and gold – with one yet to be explored – and three tailings dumps, situated along the Birim river.

Under the government of J.A. Kufuor, the former chairman of the Council of State, Prof. Adzei Bekoe – a renowned chemist – recommended that the country include nuclear generation in its energy mix.

The Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences was later established to develop the requisite manpower base, not only for the country, but also for other African countries, and the school currently trains nuclear engineers and physicists, medical physicists and other related technical staff.

A new bill for regulating the sector was also presented to Parliament for approval and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the international nuclear watchdog, was ready to assist the country in setting up its plant.

Mr Greenstreet said that “…Ghana was a potential Uranium hot spot and the nation could earn significant foreign exchange from its export…”

He said the fight against galamsey is critical, but there should be non-partisan discussions on potential earnings for the state and especially Ghanaians.