French, Chinese, Russian firms compete to build Ghana's first nuclear power plant: summary

What we know

• Companies from some of the world’s superpowers have expressed interest in securing contracts in Ghana to establish the first-ever nuclear power plant in the country. Ghana will select one of the shortlisted five companies by December.
• Contenders include France’s EDF, U.S.-based NuScale Power and Regnum Technology Group, and China National Nuclear Cooperation. The rest are South Korea's Kepco and its subsidiary Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Corporation as well as Russia's ROSATOM.
• Consideration for a nuclear plant project began in the 1960s but was stopped after the country’s first coup. The project was revived in 2006 with the International Atomic Energy Association’s assistance after a power crisis hit the country that year.
• The project is expected to span the next 10 years and is being spearheaded by the country’s Energy Ministry. It will close supply gaps and improve access to electricity in the country.
• The development comes as the country grapples with a power crisis in recent times. Ghana aims to add about 1,000 megawatts of power from nuclear to its electricity mix by 2034.

What they said

Deputy Director for power in charge of nuclear and alternative energy, Robert Sogbadji was quoted as saying, “Cabinet will approve the final choice. It can be one vendor or two nations; it will depend on the financial model and the technical details”. According to him, 16 countries and companies had responded to the government's request for vendors, but a technical team of state agencies led by the energy ministry narrowed it down to the current five nations.