President John Mahama has announced that Ghana has initiated discussions with Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, to establish the country’s first nuclear power station.
Addressing the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mahama said nuclear energy cooperation could help Ghana secure reliable and affordable electricity to support industrialisation.
“Industrialisation requires reliable and affordable electricity, and so Ghana is pursuing a diversified energy mix, including renewables, while advancing the foundations for the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” he said.
“We have initiated discussions with Rosatom on the establishment of Ghana’s first nuclear power station,” he added.
Mahama identified inadequate electricity supply as a major obstacle to Africa’s development and said Russia’s expertise in nuclear and renewable energy offered opportunities for cooperation with African countries.
He also highlighted Ghana’s longstanding relationship with Russia in the peaceful use of nuclear technology, recalling that the Soviet Union provided Ghana with a two-megawatt nuclear reactor in 1964 for scientific and research purposes.
“Many Ghanaian nuclear scientists were trained here in Russia to operate the reactor,” he said.
The President said cooperation with Russia could help Ghana advance its energy plans as the country seeks to expand electricity supply to meet its industrialisation needs.
