Powering Ghana’s Economic Development Through Nuclear Energy

The document examines Ghana's history of energy crises and its strategic shift toward nuclear energy to support industrialisation. It details the country's existing nuclear research capabilities, the challenges posed by political instability, and the progress made through IAEA infrastructure reviews.

• Ghana has experienced chronic electricity shortages for decades, with demand outstripping supply during periods such as 1983–1984, 1997–1998, 2003, 2006–2007, and 2011–2017. These crises hindered economic progress, causing a GDP loss of $680 million in 2014 alone.
• Following a period of power shortages, Ghana shifted to a state of excess electricity supply after signing 43 power purchasing agreements with three independent power producers between 2014 and 2017. Due to 'take-or-pay' contracts, this surplus currently costs the government over $500 million annually.
• Ghana's current energy mix relies heavily on thermal power plants, which account 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 thermal power capacity of 30kW, serves as a foundation for the nuclear programme. In 2014, the reactor was converted from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) to eliminate nuclear weapons proliferation risks.
• Political instability has historically derailed Ghana's nuclear ambitions, including a 1966 military coup that halted the Kwabenya Nuclear Reactor Project and a 1973 coup that caused a 'brain drain' of nuclear scientists.
• Ghana aims to integrate nuclear energy into its electricity mix by 2029. To support this, the government engaged the IAEA for Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) missions; a 2019 follow-up determined that Ghana had completed eight of 12 recommendations and six of eight suggestions from the 2017 review.

APA

BOSMAN, I. (2021). Powering Ghana’s Economic Development Through Nuclear Energy. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Policy-Briefing-229-bosman.pdf

Chicago

BOSMAN, ISABEL. Powering Ghana’s Economic Development Through Nuclear Energy. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2021. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Policy-Briefing-229-bosman.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BOSMAN |first1=ISABEL |title=Powering Ghana’s Economic Development Through Nuclear Energy |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=February 2021 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Policy-Briefing-229-bosman.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bosman2021powering, author = {BOSMAN, ISABEL}, 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/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Policy-Briefing-229-bosman.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }