Ghana in talks with Russia for first nuclear power plant

Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Ghanaian counterpart John Dramani Mahama for bilateral talks a day after the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow.

Ghanaian media reported that Accra has initiated discussions with Russia’s State Nuclear Energy Corporation, Rosatom, for the establishment of the country’s first nuclear power station.

President Mahama told the summit that Ghana was pursuing a diversified energy mix to secure its power grid.

Russian metals giant Rusal on Thursday signed a deal with Ghana to develop a bauxite mine with more than 100 million tonnes of deposits, as Moscow seeks closer ties with Africa.

Rusal, among the world's largest aluminium producers, said it had inked a deal to launch joint ventures with the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) "on bauxite mining in Ghana of up to five million tonnes per year".

"The mining project envisages the construction and operation of a bauxite mining enterprise at the Nyinahin deposit in the Ashanti Region in southwestern Ghana," Rusal said in a statement.

According to Rusal, the estimated deposit slated for development exceeds 100 million tonnes of bauxite -- the chief mineral used in aluminium production.

"The second phase of the project provides for the construction and operation of an alumina refinery with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tonnes, using bauxite from the Nyinahin deposit," it added, referring to the base material for smelting aluminium.

"The projects will be implemented through two joint ventures -- Nyinahin Bauxite and Ghana Alumina Company. Rusal will receive a majority stake in each of them," the company said.

Besides bauxite, Ghana is a major exporter of gold, cocoa and oil.

Moscow has courted African countries since the Soviet era, and has long looked to the continent as a counterweight to what it sees as Western domination over international affairs.

It has hosted a Russia-Africa summit this week, held as Moscow grapples with heavy Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine.

Ghana earlier this month announced it would formally apply to join the BRICS -- a group of emerging economies founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China and seeking greater influence in institutions dominated by Western powers.

Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Wednesday that Russia "strongly supports Ghana's application".

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