- Status
- Ongoing
Details
- Nature
Services
- Method of Procurement
(FR2018) Restricted procedure – As provided for in FR 164(1)(b) – Services/supplies as from EUR 300 000 – Works as from EUR 5 000 000 – publication
- Duration
30/09/2019 - 29/12/2025
- Contractor
ENCONET CONSULTING GMBH
- Project / Budget year
- Support measures 2020 for the INSC management / 2020
- Promotion of nuclear safety culture Component B C E F / 2018
Background
Since 1994, a nuclear facility, a small research reactor (34 kW) supplied by China is operated by in Ghana by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission’s (GAEC) National Nuclear Research Institute (NNRI). This reactor was converted to run on low-enriched uranium (LEU) in 2017, the first of five Chinese-supplied research reactors outside China to be converted to LEU.
The GAEC is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to implement nuclear power in Ghana as part of a wider project, Sustainable Energy Development for Sub-Saharan Africa. Ghana’s roadmap for the nuclear programme reflects the IAEA Milestone Approach for Nuclear Power Development, with actions identified and implemented in each of the 19 infrastructural issues, mostly focused on the Phase 1. In 2012 the Ministry of Energy established and inaugurated the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organisation (GNPPO), which was assigned with all Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organization (NEPIO) duties.
After being established in 2016, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Ghana (NRA) started operations with initial foundation staff transferred from GAEC.
Objectives
The project was designed to strengthen and ensure the effective independence of the NRA as Ghana prepared to embark on a nuclear power programme. Its overarching objective was to establish a competent, sustainable, and internationally aligned regulatory infrastructure that would enable the NRA to oversee nuclear safety, security, safeguards, and stakeholder engagement in accordance with best European and international practices.
Results
The NRA’s existing regulatory strategy and action plan were thoroughly reviewed and upgraded, and their suitability to support SMR (Small Modular Reactor) deployment confirmed.
The project completed and refined the NRA’s IMS (Internal Management Systems) in line with IAEA GSR Part 2 and ISO 9001:2015 principles, and preparing for ISO 9001 certification by an accredited company.
The NRA’s HR development instruments were reviewed and strengthened. In parallel, HR-related IMS documents were developed so that competence management, recruitment, HR planning, and training became embedded in the NRA’s formal management system.
The NRA developed and refined regulations and guidance for nuclear power reactors, including SMRs. The Contractor worked closely with NRA experts to review and improve draft regulations on design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning. Other activities covered review of the Radioactive Waste Management Regulation and a specialised training course on the use of industry codes and standards in regulatory review and assessment.
The NRA’s expertise in site licensing and external hazard assessment was strengthened through a combination of field, classroom, and on-the-job activities. An expert mission visited candidate sites for Ghana’s first NPP, providing first-hand observations and discussion of key hazards and site characteristics. A workshop and an on-the-job training with European regulators and TSOs gave NRA staff practical experience in assessing site investigations and hazard studies, while a dedicated course on seismic risk evaluation deepened understanding of seismic hazard analyses. In parallel, the Site Evaluation Regulation was reviewed and improved, and two regulatory guides (for siting and for external hazard assessment) were developed, with an additional review confirming that the siting framework can also accommodate SMR technologies with targeted refinements.
The NRA upgraded its public communication and stakeholder engagement capabilities, by delivering improved versions of the Communication Strategy, Operational Guidelines, and the Five-Year Stakeholder Involvement Strategy.
A comprehensive workshop on feasibility studies for nuclear power plants was organised including technology options, site suitability, safety principles, economics, infrastructure readiness, stakeholder engagement, and the regulator’s role. The discussions and case studies provided NRA with the conceptual tools and practical insight needed to contribute effectively to future feasibility-stage activities once the national FS process is launched.
Ghana NRA prepared for its first IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission, which took place in December 2024.
Ghana’s nuclear third-party liability (NTPL) framework was addressed, suggesting improvements to the existing national provisions and providing a roadmap to guide future strengthening of the NTPL regime, including steps towards harmonisation with international conventions, preparation for a nuclear insurance pool, and the establishment of practical arrangements needed for an operational liability system.