At the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Nuclear Power Ministerial Conference in Washington, DC, Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Kathryn Huff, Assistant Minister for Energy of Ghana Hon. William Owuraku Aidoo and the Japanese Minister of State for Business, Trade and Industry, Ota Fusae, today announced a strategic collaboration to support the deployment of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology in Ghana, taking into account the current status of technology neutrality of Ghana’s nuclear energy program. Cooperation to support the deployment of SMRs in Ghana is subject to Ghana’s nuclear regulation and US export controls. In line with the IAEA Milestones approach to building a nuclear energy program, the three countries pledged to maintain the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation.
The announcement follows Deputy Secretary of Energy Turk and a multi-agency team, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visiting Ghana on October 6-7 to meet with the Government of Ghana and its agencies, including Nuclear Power Ghana and the Atomic Energy Commission of Ghana. The countries of the Trilateral Cooperation recognize that the final decision on which technology to deploy in Ghana rests with the Government of Ghana.
Through these joint efforts, Ghana has the opportunity not only to demonstrate its global leadership in promoting energy security and climate protection, but also to establish itself as a regional center of excellence in Africa for the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies.
In order to support the deployment of SMRs and to establish Ghana as a regional SMR hub, as a first step, the Japanese government supports an SMR feasibility study, which is being co-sponsored by the Japanese and US industry – IHI Corp., JGC Corp., Regnum Technology – to be carried out by Group and NuScale Power – in cooperation with the Government of Ghana through their agencies – Nuclear Power Ghana, Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Nuclear Power Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. The study conducts a survey for the potential deployment of a NuScale VOYGRTM SMR nuclear power plant, including existing infrastructure assessments, and assesses supply chain opportunities in the Ghanaian market.
The United States is supporting a targeted SMR workforce development initiative in Ghana under the Basic Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of SMR Technology capacity-building program. Through trilateral efforts to develop workforce and supply chains, Ghana will be well positioned to provide SMR project support in Ghana as well as across the African region.
