An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has concluded an eight-day safety review of Ghana’s site selection process for its first nuclear power plant (NPP). Ghana is pursuing the introduction of nuclear power to increase its low carbon power production to meet energy demand, tackle climate change and increase energy security and diversity.
The Site and External Events Design Review Service (SEED) mission, which took place between 14 to 21 February, reviewed Ghana’s adherence to IAEA guidance on site selection. The SEED mission was the first of its kind to Ghana.
Ghana has successfully completed the site selection process and identified the candidate site and an alternative site for its first NPP. The next stage following site selection is the characterization stage of the site evaluation process.
The SEED mission was carried out at the request of the Government of Ghana and hosted by Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), under the purview of the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition.
The team comprised four experts from Pakistan, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as one IAEA staff. They reviewed the site selection report, together with the siting process, siting criteria, data collection process and application of the management system for siting activities.
The team also visited and observed the candidate site in the Western Region and the alternative site in the Central Region. In addition to the SEED review mission, the IAEA provided a SEED Capacity Building Workshop to support site evaluation.
During the workshop, external experts and participants engaged in discussions that will contribute to future progress in the site evaluation process.
“We confirmed that both the implementing organization and the management system are well-designed with the support of the government and that the Site Approval Report has been systematically and thoroughly prepared. Ghana followed the IAEA safety standards while performing the site selection process,” said mission team leader Kazuyuki Nagasawa, Senior Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA.
The team provided recommendations to improve the quality and optimize the site selection process, aiming to select the most favourable site.
This optimization seeks to minimize the potential of the selected site being found to be unsuitable during the site characterization stage.
The factors for consideration include the susceptibility to earthquakes, flooding and extreme weather events, as well as the feasibility of the emergency plan.
As a good practice, the team noted that within NPG, leadership and management for safety have been functioning well since the beginning of the siting process.
“We acknowledge with deep appreciation the IAEA SEED mission’s technical assistance in assessing our site selection. This mission is of great importance to our nuclear power programme, as it ensures that our decisions are guided by international best practices for safe and secure development of nuclear power infrastructure.
The relevance of the mission extends beyond technical assessment, reinforcing our commitment to transparency, regulatory preparedness and sustainable nuclear energy development” said Stephen Yamoah, Executive Director of NPG.
NPG will continue to receive ongoing technical assistance from the IAEA, while advancing the site approval process in accordance with the IAEA Specific Safety Guide on Site Survey and Site Selection for Nuclear Installations.
The final SEED mission report will be delivered to the Government of Ghana within three months.
SEED missions are expert review missions that assist countries going through different stages in the development of a nuclear power programme.
The service offers a choice of modules in which to focus the review, such as site selection, site assessment and design of structures, systems and components, taking into consideration site specific external and internal hazards.
In the case of site selection review, SEED missions assess the appropriate consideration of the safety issues in the site selection process.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Discover more from Energy News Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.