By Vince Manni
Currently, the only commercial nuclear power plant in Africa is located in Melkbosstrand, South Africa, near Cape Town. The plant is capable of generating 1,860 megawatts, making it an enormous source of reliable and stable energy for the country. It is owned and operated by South Africa’s state-owned power utility, Eskom, and began commercial operation in the mid-1980s.
Beyond this long-standing nuclear facility near Cape Town, nuclear energy is a sprawling frontier with ample untapped potential. Egypt, the only other pioneer in the nuclear space, is constructing their first nuclear facility at El Dabaa, to be completed in 2028.
However, Ghana is now the latest to make a foray into the nuclear sector. Their plan to begin construction in 2027 makes Ghana the third nation in Africa to have a commercial nuclear framework and blueprint, behind South Africa and Egypt.
Ghana is optimistic about their goal to break ground on the larger of two proposed reactor sites in 2027, with grid connection by 2035. The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Dr. Robert Sogbadji, has already identified two plots of land, a site in Ghana’s Western Region, Nsuban for a larger reactor, and a smaller plot in the Central Region, Obotan, for a smaller facility. Dr. Sogbadji has also confirmed that land acquisition and work on a power purchase agreement are underway.
The IAEA has been monitoring every step of Ghana’s nuclear energy pursuit, and are currently in Phase Two of the IAEA’s Three Phase nuclear development milestones, and are closing in on Phase Three, implementation. IAEA Site and External Events Design Review mission leader Kazuyuki Nagasawa described Ghana’s process: “The implementing organization and management system are well-designed, and the Site Approval Report has been thoroughly prepared. Ghana followed IAEA safety standards in the site selection process.”
Ghana is also negotiating a 123 Agreement in Washington. A 123 Agreement is the mandatory legal framework that allows the U.S. and other nations to cooperate on peaceful nuclear energy programs while ensuring safety and non-proliferation. Optimism is high and the agreement is nearing completion. Ghana already secured a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) to build capacity for SMRs, which is an important first step for the 123 Agreement.
Contracts with developers have yet to be finalized. However, Reuters reported last year that several companies from multiple countries are in the running, including the U.S.’s NuScale Power and Regnum Technology Group, France’s EDF, China’s National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), South Korea’s KEPCO, and Russia’s Rosatom.
Russia may seem to be a frontrunner for the contract, as through Rosatom, has been one of African nations’ closest energy partners, over the years supplying nations with reactors, technical expertise and financing. However, according to Business Insider Africa, Ghana operates a research reactor and has an agreement with NuScale for future SMR development and CNnC for future large reactor development.
We constantly hear about nuclear developments in developed nations, we hear about the great strides being made in the United States, Canada and the UK, but we seldom hear about the developing world and emerging nuclear programs. With the U.S. potentially playing a role in nuclear development in Ghana, it could be the gateway to unlock U.S. nuclear development across Africa, which has previously been dominated by Russia.
A clean, sustainable future is the goal, but all eyes are currently on Ghana. A nuclear base in West Africa is a major step toward energy security, industrialization, and regional influence. It also gives promise for American partnerships across the continent, beating out, and replacing China and Russia who have previously dominated the energy sector across Africa.
Vincent Manni is an advisor at the Nuclear Advocacy Resource Organization