Accra: Ghana has acquired a nuclear power plant simulator to train personnel and strengthen safety preparedness ahead of its planned nuclear power programme. The simulation centre at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) would enable personnel to practise operating a nuclear power plant and test procedures in a controlled environment before an actual plant is built.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. George Kofi Appiah, Manager, Localisation and Stakeholder Support Centre, Nuclear Power Institute, GAEC, stated that the simulator would help Ghana develop the skills needed to operate nuclear facilities safely. He made these remarks during a study tour for media professionals organised by Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) to improve understanding of the country's nuclear power programme. Mr. Appiah noted that Ghana joined the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology programme in 2020/2021, through which it acquired the simulator to support human-capacity development.
He highlighted that the simulator is the only one in Africa and one of a few in the world, serving the sub-region. The centre has already been used to train Ghanaian personnel and participants from other African countries, including Nigeria and Kenya. Mr. Appiah clarified that the simulator was not a nuclear reactor but a computer-based system that reproduced the controls and operations of a nuclear power plant. He emphasized that training with the simulator provides a seamless transition to working at a live plant.
Mr. Appiah stated that the centre would help Ghana meet international safety standards and develop the necessary safety culture before establishing nuclear power plants. The simulator is based on a small modular reactor (SMR), which uses smaller reactor units that can be combined to produce electricity on a larger scale. The NuScale design demonstrated at the centre has been upgraded from its original 50-megawatt configuration to 77 megawatts per module for actual electricity generation. A 12-module plant could therefore generate up to 924 megawatts.
The modular design offers maintenance advantages as individual units can be taken offline without shutting down the entire plant, allowing continuous operation even if one module requires attention. Mr. Appiah added that the reactor design includes several safety features, such as protective structures around the reactor and systems intended to limit the effects of an accident. The system uses passive safety measures, relying on natural forces like gravity to help control the reactor when necessary.
Control rods within the system can absorb particles that sustain the nuclear reaction, slowing or stopping it. In an emergency, these rods could fall into the reactor by gravity if power is lost. Mr. Appiah stated that Ghana's nuclear power programme would necessitate a range of specialists, including nuclear engineers, reactor operators, chemists, and other technical personnel. He emphasized that the simulation centre would assist in building that workforce and ensure that safety remains a key aspect of Ghana's preparations for nuclear power generation.