Ghana is Planning its First Nuclear Energy Plant: what’s Behind the Decision

Ghana is struggling to provide affordable and consistent electricity to its citizens. The country produces excess electricity but the supply isn’t reliable. This conundrum has led to the country’s decision to build a nuclear power plant. Nuclear scientist Seth Kofi Debrah discusses the risks – and opportunities – for Ghana.

The country’s industrialisation ambitions, fuel constraints, limited resources, climate conditions and international commitments to climate change mitigation are among the factors driving Ghana to include nuclear power in the energy mix.

Nuclear power is available all year round, making it reliable. The nuclear power plant is expected to operate as a baseload plant (the production facility used to meet some or all of an area’s continuous energy demand), with a capacity factor of about 92%. A conventional nuclear power plant typically operates for 92% of a calendar year as compared to 54% for natural gas power plants, 24% for solar and 34% for wind power plants. Read more>>