Ghana took the next step toward its nuclear energy goals Thursday, striking an agreement with a US nuclear tech project developer to build the country’s first nuclear power plant—and an SMR at that.
The details: Regnum Technology Group and Nuclear Power Ghana signed an agreement during the US-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit to deploy one NuScale VOYGR-12 SMR, according to the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy.
- Since 2014, the DOE has invested over $579M to support NuScale’s efforts to design and license VOYGR SMR, which is the only SMR design certified by the NRC.
- This will be Africa’s first commercial advanced light-water SMR, with Regnum and Nuclear Power Ghanas managing it through a planned subsidiary.
- NuScale has asked the NRC to approve an increase in the power rating for each module to 77 MWe.
“Signing this agreement will position Ghana as a leader in the deployment of small modular reactors in Africa, catalyzing economic development and job creation in the region,” US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins said in a DOE release.
Already in the works: The agreement expands on US-Ghana cooperation under the U.S. Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) program. This SMR-focused effort provides Ghana with technical training, advisory services, study tours, and a NuScale SMR simulator for training technicians and operators—all to support Ghana in developing a skilled nuclear workforce.
Ghana has pushed for nuclear energy to close electricity supply gaps since 2012, when it established the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organization to develop the infrastructure needed for a reactor.
“Energy is the backbone of any strong development,” Nii Allotey, director-general of the country’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority, told the IAEA in 2018. “And where do we get energy from? We have hydro, thermal, fossil fuels, and we have local gas—but these are dwindling…and the prices are volatile.”
Cost-effective and reliable energy is the gateway to export-led growth for Ghana, Allotey said.
