VP lauds Ghana Atomic Energy Commission’s contribution to nuclear research

Founded in 2012, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission is the state organization in Ghana with surveillance of the use of nuclear energy in the country. The Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia has highly extolled the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission for its extensive contribution in research and training that has placed the country at the forefront of global efforts.

Ghana’s VP, Mahamudu Bawumia spoke in the country’s capital, Accra on July 30 indicating that “Ghana committed to global efforts to ensure the responsible use of nuclear technology, and would continue to uphold international treaties guiding their use.”

“High-Enriched-Uranium-fuelled research reactors could become a potential source material for nuclear weapons. The threat of terrorism legitimises this concern, and the solution worldwide, underpinned by the principles of non-proliferation, is to convert all highly enriched uranium-fuelled research reactors to low enriched uranium-fuelled research reactors,” the VP opined.

“In this regard, Ghanaian scientists in collaboration with Scientists and Experts from the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) of the United States Department of Energy (US DoE), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and China Institute of Atomic Energy, undertook the process of converting our high-enriched uranium fuel reactor to low-enriched uranium fuel one,” Bawumia added. “By this feat, Ghana received an outstanding performance award from the National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy of the United States of America (USA),” he cited.

Ghana emerged as the first nation in August 2017 outside China to successfully complete the conversion of this reactor type, and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has been training scientists from other countries to convert theirs.

Bawumia had high praise for the work contributed by the scientists at GAEC in the field of medical imaging, cancer research, radiation medicine and diagnostic molecular biology. He said that all these are having direct positive impacts on daily lives.

“I wish to congratulate the GAEC for its contribution to the development of the country through the application of nuclear science and technology in the areas such as Health, Agriculture and Industry. I am informed that it was through the efforts of the Commission that the two Radiotherapy Centres at Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals were established for the treatment of cancer,” he further said.

Three months ago, we released funds to support the site selection process for the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). 3/5 pic.twitter.com/onlRnsNY7J

— Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (@MBawumia) July 30, 2019

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