Ghana has opened preliminary talks with Rosatom to construct its first NPP. President John Dramani Mahama revealed the negotiations during his address at the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow. Accra aims to secure reliable and affordable electricity to drive its domestic industrialisation by incorporating both nuclear and renewable energy into its power grid. Ghana views Russian expertise as a key component for building its clean power infrastructure.
“Industrialisation requires reliable and affordable electricity, and so Ghana is pursuing a diversified energy mix, including renewables, while advancing the foundations for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. We have initiated discussions with Rosatom on the establishment of Ghana’s first nuclear power station,” President Mahama stated during the summit.
The proposed cooperation builds on decades of historical groundwork. Nuclear contacts with Moscow date back to 1964. During that era, the Soviet Union supplied Ghana with a 2 MWt nuclear reactor intended strictly for scientific research. This early alliance established a deep technical pipeline. Multiple generations of Ghanaian nuclear scientists completed specialised higher education inside Russia to operate and maintain the initial research reactor, which is still operating.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) has been in continuous operation since 1995. The reactor is a miniature neutron source reactor with a power of 34 kilowatts. It was fully converted from high-enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium fuel in 2017, and the new core is expected to have a lifespan of approximately 40 years.
The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission is developing a strategic plan to expand the reactor’s applications in neutron activation analysis, geochemical mapping, and other fields, and plans to train over 100 students annually.
The discussions with Rosatom mark a new step in Ghana’s efforts to introduce nuclear energy into its power mix. However, Ghana’s ambition to add nuclear power to its energy mix is long-standing and follows a structured path.
Ghana’s nuclear programme is currently in Phase 2 of the IAEA Milestones Approach, and to enter the construction phase (Phase 3), it must first complete a series of key tasks including funding, site characterization, vendor selection, and regulatory approval. The core bottleneck at present is funding shortage, which has led to a series of critical studies being unable to proceed, directly affecting the timeline.
The most urgent task is to complete detailed site characterization and environmental impact assessment at the preferred site. These studies are fundamental for confirming site safety and are also prerequisites for obtaining regulatory approval and finalizing vendor contracts. However, as of early 2026, these studies remain unfunded and are the primary reason the project cannot progress to Phase 3.
Ghana has identified Nsuban in the Western Region as the preferred site and Obotan in the Central Region as an alternative. The government recently stated it has acquired a piece of land in the Central Region for consideration, but the final site decision still awaits completion of the site studies.
The Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) must approve the site and issue construction permits. The NRA is currently developing and reviewing the necessary regulatory guidelines, but the national nuclear safety policy has not yet received final cabinet approval, and the regulatory framework still needs further refinement.
Ghana is simultaneously in contact with multiple vendors, including Russia’s Rosatom, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) for a proposed 1,200 MWe reactor and US-based NuScale Power for small modular reactor (SMR) technology. However, no formal construction contract has been signed, and negotiations are still in the preliminary stages.
Ghana plans to invite the IAEA to conduct a Phase 2 Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission in 2027, which is an important external validation before entering the contracting phase. Only after completion and passing this review can the project officially enter Phase 3 (construction). Previously, officials stated they hoped to “break ground” in 2027 and achieve operation by 2034.
However, due to the funding gap, the 2030 operational target has been deemed “unrealistic,” and a more credible expectation has been revised to mid-to-late 2030s. Whether the project can be launched on schedule depends on whether funding for critical research can be secured in the short term.
