Majority of manufacturing firms in the country have declared their support for plans by government to introduce nuclear power into the country’s energy mix.
This is according to a survey carried out by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana (UG).
Per the results of the survey, 75 percent of the 200 firms surveyed backed government’s intention to generate electricity using nuclear energy asserting it is cheaper than other energy sources.
Presenting the findings at a stakeholder meeting in Accra, Dr. Simon Bawakyillenuo, a research fellow with the institute averred 92 percent of the firms surveyed were aware that nuclear energy can be used to generate electricity hence the endorsement of government’s nuclear energy plan.
“These firms, who have been in business for more than 10 years and mostly relied on the national grid for electricity, also said nuclear power is safe,” said Dr. Bawakyillenuo.
While industries support nuclear power generation, the research also revealed that majority of households do not have any knowledge of nuclear power, with the few who had such knowledge being urban residents mostly.
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“Interestingly, those who have knowledge about it are those below the age of 30 years, falling within the youth bracket,” Dr. Bawakyillenuo said.
Compared to other educational level categories, he said a greater proportion of tertiary degree holders think that nuclear energy can be used to generate electricity, with the proportion reducing as the educational attainment reduces.
The research also found that many individuals held negative perceptions about nuclear energy.
According to Dr. Bawakyillenuo, the negative perception about nuclear power needs to be addressed in order to make its implementation in Ghana a success.
It is time to use nuclear energy
Minister for Energy, Mathew Opoku Prempeh, has said its about time Ghana tried using nuclear energy to generate electricity for use in the country.
Touting nuclear energy as the ‘safest and cleanest’ form of energy, the Minister has averred that plans are far advanced to introduce nuclear energy into the country’s energy mix.
According to him, government now stands at the juncture of selecting a vendor to build nuclear power plants in the country.
“Successive governments since the year 2000, have all promoted and pushed for the agenda of nuclear power in the country, I have been informed that we have gone past certain initial stages in our quest to have nuclear power and that currently we now at the point where we have to select a vendor,” he noted.
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“The selection of the vendor means a lot of things, it will decide the technology to be used and the training that has to be given to Ghanaians to manage the system. And the training is the last stage and that takes time and so if you don’t select a vendor on time it delays the progress made,” he stated.
“But I think we are at a time where probably we should try nuclear power, it is the safest and cleanest form of energy,” he further stated.
But a similar view is not shared by some local energy think tanks like the Institute of Energy Studies (IES) who believe the push for nuclear power by government is backward, given that times have changed to favour solar and wind energies, instead of nuclear power, based on economics, safety and security risks and investment hurdles.
The IES have argued severally that generating electricity from wind and solar energies is more economical than nuclear energy.
