Nuclear electricity generation essential - Prof. Akaho.

Kwabenya, Nov. 12, GNA -Professor E. H. K. Akaho, Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy, has said that nuclear plan for electricity generation should be factored into the energy sector for long-term production of electricity.

Electricity from nuclear power is cheaper and cleaner environmentally because it does not emit gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide that causes environmental degradation in terms rain acid.

Prof. Akaho was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Kwabenya on Tuesday.

He said in terms of cost, initially, investment in a reactor, which will generate electricity is expensive, but comparable to thermal power plant, the advantage in nuclear power plant is that "it can stock-pile the fuel, and generation can be for a long time before the need for refuelling."

Nuclear fuel is the element used in production of nuclear power.

Prof. Akaho said the only thing that scare people about the use of reactor is the waste from electricity generation, he said, adding that, nonetheless, the supplier of the reactor upon an agreement will insist that the waste is sent to him (supplier) to be processed.

Prof Akaho said the supplier will keep the "the weapon grade" that is the Plutonium derived from the processing, for the manufacture of weapon, so in actual fact there would be no waste left".

In terms of safety, he said, there are new designs with sophisticated control systems, "with redundancies" sufficiently to prevent occurrence of any radiation leakage.
Prof. Akaho said in the case of Chernobyl reactor in the former Soviet Union, the reactor was an old design without a containment system, which under normal conditions, will not be licensed now to operate.
The reactor was used for economic purposes, but Russia could not replace component until there was an accident.
Prof Akaho said, sometime ago electricity generation was by hydro-power and due to environmental conditions such as drought, with its resultant low electricity production, now electricity generation is 30 per cent and the 70 per cent is from Thermal power.
This, he said, is costing the country so much because "we are not producing oil", Prof Akaho said.