Rosatom and representatives of relevant agencies of the Republic of Ghana held the first meeting of the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) as part of implementation of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the peaceful use of atomic energy.
Rosatom's delegation was headed by Viktor Polikarpov, Regional Vice-President of Sub-Saharan Africa, while Ghana was represented by Benjamin Jabez Botwe Nyarko, head of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC). Representatives of various departments of Rosatom, the Ministry of Energy, GAEC and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Ghana (NRA) were involved in the work of the commission.
The meeting agenda included all key issues related to the preparation for the implementation of Ghanaian own nuclear power program: infrastructure, staff training, financing, technical issues related to construction of facilities for the joint projects and regulation in the nuclear power industry. Besides, the parties discussed practical aspects of cooperation in the form of task groups between JCC meetings.
According to Viktor Polikarpov, Regional Vice-President of Sub-Saharan Africa, "although there are no NPPs, Ghana has competences in nuclear technology, and the country understands that the development of peaceful nuclear power is necessary. Ghana is developing the National Nuclear Power Program and has conducted self-assessment of its nuclear infrastructure in accordance with the IAEA standards. Besides, the country is preparing to accept the first INIR mission of the IAEA. In the long term, Ghana may be expected to become one of the countries that makes use of nuclear power. This will help overcome energy shortage, as well as provide a necessary impetus for economic development in the country."
The next meeting of the countries' representatives is to be held during the IAEA General Conference (from September 26 through September 30), while the second JCC meeting will take place in 2017.