U.S. and Japan tie up for export of small nuclear reactor tech to Ghana

The United States said Wednesday it will work with Japan toward exporting small nuclear reactor technology to Ghana, with the two allies promoting the advanced power generation method to help other countries meet their clean energy goals.

In an initial step to support the deployment of a so-called small modular reactor in the West Africa country, a feasibility study is planned to be conducted by companies including Japanese heavy machinery manufacturer IHI, plant builder JGC as well as NuScale Power, a small modular reactor developer based in the United States.

Small modular reactors have a power capacity of up to 300 megawatts per unit, about a third of the capacity of conventional, large reactors. Such reactors can be factory assembled and transported to a location for installation, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Through the project, Ghana will have the opportunity “not only to demonstrate leadership in advancing energy security and climate action globally but also establish itself as a regional center of excellence in Africa for the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies,” the U.S. State Department said.

The department also said the United States, Japan and Ghana are committed to “upholding the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation.”

In 2021, the United States launched an initiative to support the use of small modular reactor technology. Countries such as Japan, Britain, Estonia, Ghana, the Philippines, Romania, South Korea and Ukraine are also engaged in the initiative, according to a joint statement issued in August this year.

More than 80 small modular reactor designs are under development in 19 countries and the first such units are already in operation in China and Russia, the IAEA said in August.

Agencies