Plans to develop nuclear power intensify

The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum will go into an agreement with the State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia - ROSATOM - on the specifics of joint projects facilitating the implementation of plans to develop a nuclear industry.

This will take place in June when a team of officials - including the Ministers of Energy and Petroleum and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah and Dr. Joe Oteng-Adjei respectively, as well as the Director General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Professor Benjamin J. Botwe Nyarko - participates in the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power for the 21st Century in June, 2013.

According to Professor Nyarko, the move is a follow-up to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Energy and ROSATOM last year, in which the parties agreed to establish a bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Leading a ROSATOM delegation to call on the Minister for Energy and Petroleum last week Thursday, he said the parties will meet on the sidelines of the Conference to finalise a Memorandum of Agreement detailing the specifics of joint projects facilitating the implementation of plans by Ghana to develop a nuclear industry, as well as other joint projects that are of common interest.

The ROSATOM team - which included Yury A. Sokolov, Vice President, Director- Department of Global Nuclear Infrastructure, and Dmitry Bazhenov, Chief Expert, Marketing and Business Development Department -- was accompanied by Igor Degtyarev, Minister-Counsellor Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation.

Mr. Degtyarev told the Minister that Russia is willing to offer its assistance to Ghana in developing other power alternatives such as nuclear, and expressed hope that the Parties will meet at the Conference.

He used the opportunity to congratulate the Minister on his appointment and affirmed his country’s support for Ghana in the energy sector.

Mr. Buah, for his part, said Ghana is committed to considering Nuclear energy as a viable option in power-generation, adding that the time has come for tangible steps toward realisation of this goal.

According to him, the increasing demand for power in the country as a result of economic growth calls for accelerated measures to venture into nuclear power, adding that the time has come for critical consideration of this option.

Mr. Buah said Ghana will ensure that it keeps its side of agreement, saying; “We are looking forward to working together to ensure that the country develops a nuclear energy infrastructure.”

Also at the meeting were Professor Thomas Akabzaa, Chief Director, and Mr. Isaac Enninson, Head, Nuclear Department of the Ministry.