US, Ghanaian firms sign commercial agreement for SMR deployment
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Regnum is a US nuclear technology project developer partnered with private entities including NuScale. NPG was established in 2018 to be the owner and operator of Ghana's first nuclear power plant.
According to the US Department of Energy - which has provided more than USD579 million since 2014 to support the design and licensing of the VOYGR SMR - the two companies plan to form a subsidiary company in the near future to own and operate Africa's first commercial advanced light-water SMR power plant.
US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins observed the signing ceremony. "Signing this agreement will position Ghana as a leader in the deployment of small modular reactors in Africa, catalysing economic development and job creation in the region," she said. "We are excited by the promise of these technologies in building a more sustainable future."
Also present was US Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation Aleshia Duncan, who said that Ghana and many other African countries are pursuing nuclear energy to achieve their economic development, energy security, and decarbonisation goals. "It's imperative that the United States remain a strong and engaged partner, offering technical expertise and resources to ensure the successful deployment of nuclear energy across the continent," she said.
The agreement builds on existing US-Ghana civil nuclear cooperation, including cooperation under the US Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Program that is helping Ghana to establish itself as a SMR Regional Hub and centre of excellence. Agreements were signed earlier this year under the FIRST Program on providing a NuScale Energy Exploration (E2) Center SMR control room simulator in Ghana to serve as a regional training centre for nuclear power technicians and operators and on establishing a welding certification programme, as Ghana looks to establish a skilled nuclear workforce and a regional SMR supply chain.
NuScale's VOYGR module is a pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single unit. A 50 MWe version of the module is the first - and so far the only - SMR design to have received approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The company is seeking regulatory approval for a 77 MWe version.
A project to build the first NuScale SMR units at a site near Idaho Falls in the USA had been pencilled in for operation by 2029 but was cancelled in late 2023, but the company is working with governments and organisations in various countries around the world to bring its technology to the global market.
