Ghana selects Nsuban, Obotan as potential sites for first nuclear plant

By Albert Oppong-Ansah, GNA

Accra, Sept. 20, GNA -?Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) has selected Nsuban and Obotan as two potential sites to host its first nuclear power plant.

Nsuban in the Western Region is the preferred location, while Obotan in the Central Region will serve as a backup site to host the one-gigawatt nuclear plant by 2030.

Detailed technical assessments are being concluded at both locations to determine the preferred sites.

Dr Stephen Yamoah, Executive Director of NPG made this known at the ongoing Ghana?Industrial Summit??and Exhibition in Accra on Wednesday.?

It is under the theme, "Industrialisation Through Sustainable and Efficient Supply Chains."

The country seeks to add nuclear energy to its energy portfolio to support industrialization after the dwindling of traditional energy sources.

The announcement implies that the two locations, Nsuban and Obotan, have been subjected to the International Atomic Energy Agency's Site Selection for Nuclear Installations criteria, which include seismology assessment, flooding issues, population, and projected population growth.

Dr Yamoah said the selection of the site, was an important step in the second phase of the country's Nuclear Power Programme and precedes the selection of a vendor/partner to construct the plant.

Four sites were initially selected for the construction of the nuclear power plant, and after further studies by Ghanaian experts, the team ranked the sites to settle on Nsuban and Obotan.

Dr Yamoah noted that the nuclear power project involved a complex supply chain with quality control issues at different levels and urged industries to take steps to maximize its economic opportunities.

He said progress had been made in the selection of vendors and that the government would announce which partner country would build the nuclear plant by 2030.

Mr Seth Twum Akwaboah, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), expressed excitement about the site selection and progress toward the construction of the nuclear facility.

He noted that it was an important project that AGI valued because of the immense business opportunity in the sector.

"Stable and cheap power is very important and no country has developed without it. This is a single project that will create jobs and provide more opportunities," he said.

Mr Akwaboah urged organisations to build their capacity to harness the gains in the service and technical sectors to help transform the economy.

GNA?