US Department of Energy launches clean energy training centre to boost infrastructural development for Africa in Ghana
The US Department of Energy has launch of a Clean Energy Training Centre to support infrastructural development in Africa.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation in the Office of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, Aleshia Duncan, made the announcement during an interview with JoyNews.
The Clean Energy Training Centre will offer a nuclear curriculum virtually to the entire African continent, with Ghana being the first country to benefit from the programme.
According to her, Ghana has developed substancially in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Milestones Approach, and the Clean Energy Training Centre will give people career opportunities while providing trainees with support from the U.S. institution.
“We will be a consistent and long-term strategic partner to Africa, and we will support it in a way that will bring a safe and clean energy source to Ghana,” Madam Duncan said.
“The US is the best in strategic partnership, and we have the best technology that is able to support a 100-year-long relationship.”
Madam Duncan emphasised that safety modifications have been made to the technology after the Fukushima accident, and nuclear will play a key source in any country’s energy mix.
She added that it is essential to communicate the benefits of nuclear energy to the public to have an impact on people’s everyday lives and to increase the quality of life.
“Studies show that someone can stand outside a nuclear facility every day and receive less radiation as compared to a person who doesn’t work there,” Duncan said. “In Finland, they purposely store their most priced art and possessions in a nuclear waste facility.”
The Clean Energy Training Centre is a significant step forward in promoting clean energy and sustainable development in Africa.
With the U.S. as a strategic partner, Ghana and other African countries will be able to access the latest technology and knowledge in the nuclear energy sector, creating new opportunities for economic growth and development
Source: Ghana News
