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Ghana has a long history of adopting nuclear energy in the quest to end energy crises and, in the same vein, improve energy security to achieve the nation’s industrialization agenda. [1]. Nuclear power is ranked among the safest, cleanest and most reliable energy sources with zero carbon emissions (greenhouse gases) compared to fossil fuels, coal, peat, and hydropower. [2]. Ghana is claimed to have one (1) nuclear reactor for research, medical and industrial purposes, but not for electricity generation. Despite setbacks in initiating power generation from nuclear power, the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), a member of the International Network of Nuclear Libraries, has been working assiduously with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA ) to implement nuclear power in Ghana. [3]. In addition, the current formation of Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) set out to oversee the construction and operation of Ghana’s first nuclear power plant. [4] It is clear that the nation is on the way to developing its national nuclear power infrastructure. Having nuclear power in Ghana is a great initiative for sustainable energy and it should be supported by the Ghanaians.
According to research, nuclear power has several benefits when applied in accordance with IAEA safety standards and classifications (ie IAEA SSR-2/1, IAEA SSG-30). Typical examples can be drawn from countries like Germany, USA, UK and Finland. These countries use nuclear power in their electricity mix. In 2019, Finland had four nuclear reactors, providing about 30% of the country’s electricity. The total net electrical power was 2,794 MW. A fifth reactor is being built and a sixth reactor is being planned. If all six (6) nuclear power plants are operational, the proportion of electricity that will be produced will double, reaching around 60%. The estimated useful life target for the new reactor units is at least 50 years. [5, 6]. If Finland with a population of 5.6 million had six (6) nuclear power plants by 2023, how many should a nation like Ghana with a population of 30 million have by 2030?
In addition to the benefits it brings to Ghana’s energy mix, the construction and operations of nuclear power plants would increase careers in the nuclear power sector, thus providing many job opportunities, especially for welding, destructive testing (DT) and non-destructive testing. Personal (NDT). Building a nuclear power plant requires a number of important systems, structures, and components, such as reactor pressure vessels, pressurizers, and steam generators. These key components, in addition to the pipes, must be designed, manufactured, and the installation process requires welding. Only qualified and certified welding personnel can work on such projects. In addition, before, during and after welding, all materials must: a) be examined; b) tested through DT & NDT; c) Qualified and certified through quality control processes. Similarly, this means that only qualified and certified NDT personnel can work on such projects.
There have been bad experiences where the nation is involved in construction projects and Ghanaians were not employed because they did not have the necessary qualifications and certification to work on the projects. At such a price, contractors tended to bring expatriates to pick up the jobs while Ghanaians were left unemployed. Never again are the young people of Ghana tired of such excuses and bad experiences.
Therefore, together with the Ministry of Energy, GAEC and NPG should encourage and provide resources to train thousands of welders and other welding and NDT personnel. The training and qualification of such personnel must be carried out according to international standards, so welders, welding specialists and NDT personnel must be trained and qualified according to ISO 9606, ISO 14731 and 9712 standards respectively. These personnel should be available for work when the construction of such facilities begins in Ghana. The newly established Ghana Welding Institution (GIW) could be one of the key stakeholders to promote and provide oversight responsibilities in the training of such personnel.
Second, Ghanaian universities, technical universities, research centers, and other state and private institutions should collaborate with institutions abroad to embark on research and development (R&D) and nuclear power generation education through undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level. The approach to nuclear R&D should include the safety and operational efficiency of power plants, and the management and disposal of nuclear radioactive waste.
Recognition
The authors wish to express their appreciation to the Aktiva Institute for Innovation, Technology Training and Certification (AKTIVA IITTC) and the Industrial Solutions Group of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).
References
[1] Nuclear Energy in Ghana, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_energy_in_Ghana.
[2] Hanna Ritchie (2020), Nuclear Energy, https://ourworldindata.org/nuclear-energy.
[3] Joe Okyere; Salome Donkor (2002), Ghana to adopt nuclear energy? Graphic, modern Ghana.
[4] Elizabeth Dyck (2019), IAEA Examines the progress of Ghana’s nuclear infrastructure development, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/iaea-reviews-progress-of-ghanas-nuclear-infrastructure-development.
[5] Nuclear energy in Finland, World Nuclear Association.
[6] Further delay in commissioning of Finnish ERP, World Nuclear News.* Dr. Gyasi is a mechanical / welding engineer, TVET and pedagogy facilitator and principal investigator.
Contact: [email protected]
In g. Dr. Bright JAY Sogbey is a Research Scientist / Engineer with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.
