Nuclear power is safe, benefits far outweigh dangers – Dr Afriyie

The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, has assured citizens about the safety of nuclear power to the country's energy mix.

This comes on the back of some Ghanaians raising concerns over the environmental implications of nuclear power use, risk of radiation and preparedness towards management of nuclear disasters.

But Dr. Afriyie who described the fears as ‘overblown and without foundation’ said Ghana has the human capacity to deal with using nuclear technology for power generation.

“We are not claiming superiority but Ghana has a good record of using atomic energy, and on top of that we have the right skills set in dealing with any danger associated with nuclear power.”

He cited South Korea and Pakistan as countries that have already rolled out the use of nuclear energy for power generation.

“If South Korea, Pakistan and other countries can do it, we certainly can do,” he pointed.

Dr Kwaku Afriyie spoke at the commemoration of the Africa Scientific Renaissance Day (ASRD) at Haatso in Accra.

Already Ghana is looking to introduce nuclear power into the country's energy generation mix by 2029. Ahead of this, government has said it will intensify public education on the subject to deepen public understanding and appreciation of nuclear power.