Main content

Why is nuclear power back in fashion?

Ghana is one of more than 20 countries which have pledged to triple nuclear energy as part of their climate plans. Why? And is the goal achievable?

At the big COP climate summit last December, more than 20 countries pledged to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050 to help cut carbon emissions. The signatories included familiar nuclear names such as the US, France and Japan...but also newcomers, like Ghana.

Although Ghana doesn’t currently have any nuclear power plants, president Nana Akufo-Addo says he wants to build one or two by 2030. So why is this African nation turning to nuclear? How will it pay for the multi-billion-dollar power plants? And will this help fight climate change?

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: on-the-ground reporter Thomas Naadi; Dr Michael Bluck, Director of the Centre for Nuclear Engineering at Imperial College London; and Dr Kacper Szulecki, research professor at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs.

Production team: Octavia Woodward, Ben Cooper, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis.

Sound design by Tom Brignell.

Available now

24 minutes

Last on

Wed 21 Feb 202421:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sun 18 Feb 202414:32GMT
  • Sun 18 Feb 202423:06GMT
  • Wed 21 Feb 202402:32GMT
  • Wed 21 Feb 202409:32GMT
  • Wed 21 Feb 202413:32GMT
  • Wed 21 Feb 202420:06GMT
  • Wed 21 Feb 202421:06GMT

Podcast