Ambassador of Ghana to Korea visited KAERI

H.E. Elizabeth Nicol, Ambassador of Ghana to Korea, visited KAERI on August 8, 2016 to explore the possibility of promoting nuclear cooperation between our two countries.

The Ghanaian ambassador mentioned that Ghana wants to address the pressing issue of power generation through nuclear power, as Ghana has faced an electricity deficit and a huge demand for electricity has occurred there. She inquired about the feasibility of KAERI promoting cooperation with Ghana, similar to its cooperation with Jordan in the construction of the JRTR. She noted that the President of Ghana has shown a strong interest in the SMART reactor. She stated that the Ghanaian government has already confirmed the highest level of safety of the SMART reactor, and that the Ghanaian government wants to launch nuclear cooperation with Korea.

Dr. J. K. Kim, President of KAERI, stated that he had recognized the urgency of Ghana in addressing the issue of its electricity deficit, and that countries in MENA and Central Asia have shown a keen interest in introducing SMART in their counties as well. The Ghanaian ambassador invited a KAERI expert to visit Ghana to inspect the current status of electric power, nuclear infrastructure, and HRD there, and to familiarize himself with the current nuclear infrastructures and those issues that need to be urgently addressed.

The Parliament of Ghana approved the Nuclear Regulatory Bill, and the President of the Republic of Ghana signed it into law on the 14th of August, 2015. The Ministry of Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the China National Nuclear Cooperation (CNNC) on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and with . with the Russian State Atomic Cooperation (ROSATOM) in January and June, 2015, respectively. .The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, through its Nuclear Power Institute, provides technical assistance, while the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences is responsible for workforce planning.

She expressed her wish that today’s meeting, which will be the first step to move forward promoting nuclear cooperation, will provide an opportunity to bear good fruits in the future. She made a technical tour of SMART-ITL facility.