Ghana to host clean energy training centre for infrastructure development in Africa

The US Department of Energy has selected Ghana as the host country for the clean energy training Centre for infrastructure development in Africa.

The decision was made known by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation in the Office of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, Ms. Aleshia Duncan when she paid a four-day official visit to Ghana.

While in the country, she paid a courtesy call to the Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and the leadership of the Nuclear Power Institute (NPI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

The purpose of the visit was to familiarise herself with the activities of Ghana's nuclear power programme and the progress made so far.

Ms. Duncan expressed the interest of the US Government in establishing a clean energy training facility in the country to help build the country’s capacity and to also help fight climate change by reducing the country's carbon emissions.

She said that some virtual training programs had already started as part of the plan to establish the training center and that plans were afoot to establish the facility, which would serve not only Ghana but the entire African continent.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary explained that the modalities concerning the establishment of the training center had been discussed with Nuclear Power Ghana, the owner and operator of the plant, as well as the Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Nuclear Power Institute, the technical arm of the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organisation (GNPPO).

The meeting identified some key priority areas of training and development in support of the nuclear program. Some highlighted areas of development were the establishment of a cybersecurity research hub to improve the country’s capacity to deal with the challenges posed by the evolving threat of cybersecurity, a training and licensing regime for craftsmen to meet international standards, a training facility to offer hands-on training to students and nuclear professionals, and the establishment of a reactor simulator facility.

Ms. Duncan reiterated the United States Government’s support for Ghana’s nuclear power program and efforts made at improving energy generation in Africa.