Ghana’s Deputy Minister-Designate for Energy and Green Transition, Richard Gyan-Mensah, has thrown his weight behind nuclear energy as a means to reduce Ghana’s high electricity costs.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Appointments Committee, Gyan-Mensah attributed the high cost of electricity in Ghana to the country’s power generation mix, which relies heavily on thermal energy.
Gyan-Mensah emphasized that thermal energy is expensive, and encouraged his minister to explore alternative baseload generation options, including nuclear power and mini dams, to strengthen Ghana’s energy mix.
His stance aligns with plans outlined by Energy Minister John Jinapor, who has expressed interest in nuclear power.
Ghana has been considering nuclear power as a viable energy source for some time.
The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission has been researching nuclear power, and the country has a research reactor in Accra, which has been operational since 1994.
Additionally, Ghana is a member of the International Nuclear Library Network and is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency to implement nuclear power as part of a broader project to promote sustainable energy development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Nuclear is a base load source that is also cost-effective, and that can contribute to lowering electricity prices,” Mr Gyan-Mensah explained.
On Ghana’s oil production, he noted that daily output had declined from about 89,000 barrels to around 79,000 barrels, describing the situation as “not encouraging.”
Addressing energy efficiency and conservation, Mr Gyan-Mensah stressed the importance of public education and stricter enforcement of existing regulations.
“The most effective strategy is education and proper enforcement. We need to educate consumers on efficient energy use while ensuring full compliance with current regulations,” he said.
He assured the committee that if confirmed, he would work closely with the Minister to reduce generation costs and address losses in power distribution and revenue collection.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
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