Ghana prepares for nuclear energy station(Centre Spread Lead) June 3, 2008

Story: Michael Donkor

Seventy graduate engineering students are being taken through preparatory work at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences of the University of Ghana towards the establishment of a nuclear energy station in Ghana.
Site studies are also being undertaken for the selection of an appropriate location for the nuclear power station.
When completed by 2018, the nuclear power station will generate 400 megawatts of electricity to augment that of the Akosombo Dam.
The Minister of Communications, Dr Benjamin Aggrey-Ntim, said the move formed part of government effort at finding alternative means of generating electricity.
He was speaking at a Regional Training Course for Trainers in the Use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) training materials in nuclear analytical techniques in Accra yesterday.
The five-day programme was organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in collaboration with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission under the African Regional Co-operative Agreement (AFRA) project.
It is being attended by professionals in the field of nuclear and allied sciences from Africa.
Dr Aggrey-Ntim challenged the scientists to expose the practicality in nuclear energy to the people because there was so much fear when nuclear activities were mentioned.
He said it was time the country ran a nuclear power plant hence the need to demystify nuclear activities.
Dr Aggrey-Ntim urged the participants to use what they had learnt in the past to support their countries.
He urged them to let the results of their work be felt by all while they provide adequate security for people.
The Director-General of the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, Dr Dorothy Gordon, said the IAEA recognised the need to further master the potential of nuclear analytical techniques.
She said it was in view of this that IAEA, in collaboration with some African consultants, had developed an educational tool in nuclear analytical techniques in the form of e-learning ICT materials.
Dr Gordon said the objective of the training course was to train experienced professionals of the participating African countries in effective use of ICT-based teaching materials for nuclear analytical techniques.
She said during the training course the participants would learn how to use the developed ICT materials in nuclear analytical techniques and integrate them into their national nuclear programmes.
The acting Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Prof. Geoffrey Emi-Reynolds, said the course was to ensure that nuclear science was promoted in Africa.