Page 50 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 22

Innovate Afrika

and Evaluation of Bids for Nuclear support the West African country’s the US Department of State has
Power Plants”, detailed the require- foray into the nuclear sector. announced $7.3 million to support
ments and processes for ensuring a FIRST projects around the world.
successful bid. The FIRST programme, led by
the US Department of State, will Professor Samuel Boakye Dampare,
“The development of a nuclear programme support Ghana’s adoption of small Director General of the Ghana
is a major undertaking requiring attention modular reactor (SMR) technology. Atomic Energy Commission the
to many complex and interrelated tasks This includes support for stakehold- capacity building activities are meant
over a long duration. One of them is the er engagement, advanced technical to strengthen their national techni-
bidding process, which includes the develop- collaboration and project evaluation cal support organisation. “For us
ment of bid invitations specifications, the and planning. Japan has been a regulators, our success will be a very
evaluation of bids and the contracting with valuable partner with the US on the stringent, logical and transparent li-
the successful bidder (contractor). The nec- FIRST programme and will build on censing regime that emphases safety
essary infrastructure should be developed to its existing partnership with Ghana throughout the lifetime of our fu-
the point of readiness for a bidding process to advance Ghana’s civil nuclear ture power plants(s), whether SMRs
to acquire a nuclear power plant (NPP). power aspirations. or larger reactors,” said Dampare.
Therefore, the preparatory phase preceding
the bidding process includes numerous Speaking at a virtual launch of the Initial training in Ghana during 2022
activities, such as but not limited to, energy programme, US Ambassador Steph- will focus on stakeholder engage-
system planning, siting and feasibility anie Sullivan said clean, reliable and ment, licensing and regulatory
studies, environmental impact assessment, safe nuclear energy could provide development, financing, workforce
development of nuclear related legislation, significant benefits to the people of development and nuclear security,
financing, organization of the regulatory Ghana, including clean energy, agri- safety and non-proliferation.
authority, etc,” part of the report said. cultural improvements, clean water
and advanced medical treatment.
Nigeria is a member of the Inter- “Next-generation nuclear energy,
national Atomic Energy Agency, like what we’re working on today,
and as such is required to strictly must be part of the solution,” said
adhere to the requirements for bids. Sullivan.
And ultimately, the goal is to ensure
that the successful bidder (i.e., the According to Ghana’s Minister
winning contractor) has all it takes of Energy Dr Matthew Opoku
to enable the licensing, construction, Prempeh, the decision to include
commissioning and operation of a nuclear power in the nation’s energy
nuclear power plant. mix has led to establishing Nuclear
Power Ghana Limited as an Owner
https://africa.businessinsider.com/ Operator and project developer.
local/markets/nigeria-invites-bids- The FIRST Programme will help
as-it-prepares-to-construct-its-first- Ghana develop the competencies of
nuclear-power-plant/tdn7nn2 the Nuclear Power Ghana Limited
to build and operate safely Ghana’s
Ghana looks to small modular first nuclear power plant.
reactor technology for nuclear
deployment From the archives
The drive for an African nuclear
ESI Africa energy market
By Theresa Smith March 9, 2022
Drawing on 60 years of US experi-
The US and Ghana will partner un- ence working with nuclear energy,
der the Foundational Infrastructure the FIRST programme provides
for Responsible use of Small Mod- capacity-building support to partner
ular Reactor Technology (FIRST) to countries as they develop their nu-
clear energy programmes. To date,

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