Powering Ghana's Economic Development through Nuclear Energy

Ghana is pursuing a nuclear power programme to support its goal of becoming a highly industrialised economy within four decades and to ensure a sustainable electricity supply as natural gas and oil reserves are predicted to be depleted by 2045. Despite a history of nuclear research and the operation of the Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) since 1994, the country has faced setbacks due to political instability and military coups. Current efforts are guided by the IAEA's Milestones Approach and Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) missions, with the government aiming to incorporate nuclear energy by 2029.

• Ghana's electricity sector has historically suffered from demand outstripping supply, leading to energy crises in 1983–1984, 1997–1998, 2003, 2006–2007, and 2011–2017, with a GDP loss of $680 million in 2014 alone.
• The government currently faces a different economic challenge where electricity supply exceeds demand, costing the state more than $500 million annually due to 'take-or-pay' contracts with independent power producers.
• Ghana's current energy mix is dominated by hydroelectric and thermal power, with thermal plants accounting for approximately 63% of total installed capacity; however, the natural gas and oil reserves supporting these plants are expected to be depleted by 2045.
• The Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1), commissioned in 1994 with a 30kW thermal power capacity, was converted from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel in 2014 to eliminate nuclear weapons proliferation risks.
• Political instability, including military coups in 1966 and 1973, caused significant setbacks to Ghana's early nuclear aspirations, leading to the halt of the Kwabenya Nuclear Reactor Project and a 'brain drain' of nuclear scientists.
• Ghana is working toward incorporating nuclear energy by 2029, utilizing the IAEA's Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) process; a 2019 follow-up review found that Ghana had completed eight of 12 recommendations and six of eight suggestions from a 2017 review.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2021). Powering Ghana's Economic Development through Nuclear Energy. https://saiia.org.za/research/powering-ghanas-economic-development-through-nuclear-energy/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Powering Ghana's Economic Development through Nuclear Energy. 2021. https://saiia.org.za/research/powering-ghanas-economic-development-through-nuclear-energy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Powering Ghana's Economic Development through Nuclear Energy |date=24 February 2021 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/powering-ghanas-economic-development-through-nuclear-energy/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2021powering, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Powering Ghana's Economic Development through Nuclear Energy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/powering-ghanas-economic-development-through-nuclear-energy/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }