He said the move was in consonance with the global collective commitment to the sustainable availability of power and the peaceful exploitation of nuclear energy for the benefit of citizens to enhance rapid industrialisation and propel economic growth.

Cabinet decision

A statement signed by the President and issued in Accra recalled that in 2008, the Cabinet had taken a decision to include nuclear energy in the country’s energy generation mix to pave the way for its inclusion into the National Energy Policy and Strategy.

“This led to the establishment of the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organisation (GNPPO) to oversee the implementation and coordination of the nuclear power programme.

“Ghana subsequently declared its intention to pursue a Nuclear Power Programme for peaceful purposes in August 2013, through a letter submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” it said.

It indicated that two other key institutions, namely, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) Ghana, an independent nuclear regulatory body, and the Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), a project company to take up the role and responsibility as owneroperator, had been established by the government.

Phase one nuclear infrastructure

The statement said satisfied with all the relevant obligatory technical issues related to the introduction of nuclear power, the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), through its technical institute, the Nuclear Power Institute (NPI-GAEC), and with support from other national bodies, had met all the Phase One nuclear infrastructure requirements, as recommended by the IAEA milestone’s approach.

Furthermore, it explained that in 2017 and 2019, the IAEA International Peer Review Mission, at the invitation of the country, undertook a review of the status of the country’s Phase One nuclear infrastructure development.

That mission concluded that the country had satisfied all the prescribed studies for the government to make a knowledgeable commitment to a Nuclear Power Programme, it said, and added that the numerous studies and progress of activities undertaken in Phase One of the nuclear power programme had been consolidated into the Programme Comprehensive Report (PCR).

Instruction

“I, hereby, announce and instruct the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and the Minister for Energy, in collaboration with the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, to take all the necessary steps to move the GNPPO from the Ministry of Energy to the Offi ce of the President to enhance proper coordination among the key institutions already established,” the statement quoted President Akufo-Addo as saying.

It added that GAEC and the NPI-GAEC would continue to play a supportive role to the GNPPO at the Offi ce of the President following the re-alignment.

It further indicated that the Government of Ghana had adopted the content of the PCR as a reflection of nuclear power infrastructure issues in the country, committed to the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, as well as continue its international cooperation and collaborations and participate in enhancing knowledge in all peaceful applications of nuclear technology.

It also stated the government’s commitment to “continue transparency, adherence to the strict standards of safety, security and accountability in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and continue with efforts to implement the nuclear power programme in the subsequent phases of the programme by using nuclear technology to generate electricity to accelerate national development and industrialisation”.