By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer, has launched the first NuScale Power Energy Exploration (E2) Center in Accra. The commissioning ceremony took place at the Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences
The E2 Center, the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa, uses state-of-the-art computer modeling within a NuScale 12-module Small Modular Reactor (SMR) control room to deliver hands-on education and training for the next generation of African nuclear professionals to operate safe and secure advanced civil nuclear reactors.
Addressing the gathering, Madam Palmer hinted that the United States is investing in the SMR training hub for Ghana and the sub-Saharan Africa region.
“In addition to the launch of this simulator, this partnership also includes the establishment of a nuclear welding certification program and a university-to-university partnership with Texas A&M University for developing SMR-related curricula,” she added.
According to her, the SMR training hub in Accra will be a valuable workforce development and capacity-building resource for partners across the African continent, fostering a new generation of skilled professionals who will drive the energy sector forward.
The U.S. Ambassador to Ghana was joined by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Rev. Dr. Patrick Nomo, management of the Nuclear Power Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), and guests from across Ghana’s academic, energy, and government sectors to launch the Center officially.
The E2 Center is supported by the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) capacity-building program in partnership with the International Science and Technology Center and NuScale Power.
