Ghana needs zero emissions electricity baseload to deal with climate vulnerability
Ghana requires a zero emissions electricity base-load for sustainable and affordable electricity production.
The Akosombo Dam, which has served as the country’s electricity baseload for six decades has been facing a drop in water levels due to climate vulnerability.
Dr Seth K. Debrah, Director, Nuclear Power Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (NPI-GAEC), who expressed concerns about the country’s energy sustainability, said Ghana “will be in trouble” if it failed to adopt a green solution for electricity production.
Delivering a presentation at a workshop for selected media practitioners and editors at Peduase in the Eastern Region on Wednesday, Prof. Debrah said Nuclear Power “is Ghana’s next green baseload solution.”
“Every plant has a lifetime. The Akosombo Dam is 60 years and the water level keeps dropping due to climate vulnerability.
“We are losing the climate fight and if we don’t look at zero emissions technology, then we are in for trouble,” he said.
“We are all clamouring for One District, One Factory, but what energy and at what cost are you using for the factories?” He asked and rallied the citizenry to support efforts by the country to go nuclear.
Organised by the Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), the three-day workshop for editors and reporters of the Ghana Mews Agency and selected editors from other media houses, formed part of efforts to promote and sustain media involvement through knowledge sharing, and to widen information reach on Ghana’s efforts to include Nuclear Power as the country’s Green Energy Solution.
The three-day workshop is on the theme: “Nuclear Safety, and Environmental concerns; strengthening public understanding.”
Energy experts have warned that beyond 2025, the Akosombo and Kpong hydropower plants, which currently serve 32 per cent as the nation’s baseload supplier would have reduced drastically to about 25 per cent.
Ghana has, therefore, intensified efforts to add nuclear power to its energy mix – and the plan is to build and operate the country’s first nuclear power plant by 2030.
Ghana is also signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, which enjoins member countries to transition to a low-carbon economy and to prevent average global temperatures rising above two degrees Celsius.
The NPG was set up in 2018 as the Project Organisation to manage Ghana’s first Nuclear Power Project.
The Organisation has been designated to be the eventual owner and operator of the first nuclear power plant.
Prof. Debrah said the establishment of a nuclear power plant, aside providing reliable and affordable power, would also provide enormous economic opportunities.
He said the provision of technical services and training activities would also enhance local expertise in the subject area.
“This is an industry you can get into and change your economy…you can have close to 4,000 people on site at a time and other direct and indirect business opportunities,” Prof. Debrah said.
Dr Stephen Yamoah, Executive Director, NPG, said the selection of the preferred site for Ghana’s first nuclear power plant would be concluded by the end of the year.
Nana Ransford Tetteh, Board Chairman, GNA, commended NPG for the collaboration with GNA and urged the participants to engage the citizenry on the prospects of nuclear energy.
Source: GNA