The United States said on Wednesday it would work with Japan to export small nuclear reactor technology to Ghana as the two countries promote the advanced form of power generation to help other countries meet their clean energy goals.  

As a first step in supporting the deployment of so-called small modular reactors in the West African country, companies including Japanese heavy machinery maker IHI Corp., plant builder JGC Corp., and U.S.-based small modular reactor developer NuScale Power LLC plan to conduct a feasibility study.  

Small modular reactors can generate up to 300 megawatts each, about a third of the capacity of large conventional reactors.  According to the IAEA, such reactors can be assembled in a factory and transported to a location for installation.  

Through the program, Ghana will have the opportunity "not only to demonstrate leadership in advancing energy security and climate action on a global scale, but also to establish itself as a regional center of excellence in Africa for deploying innovative nuclear technologies," the State Department said.  

The department added that the United States, Japan and Ghana are committed to "upholding the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation."  

In 2021, the United States launched an initiative to support the use of small modular reactor technology.  Japan, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Ghana, the Philippines, Romania, the Republic of Korea and Ukraine are among other countries participating in the initiative, according to a joint statement issued in August.  

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in August that 19 countries were developing more than 80 small modular reactor designs, with the first such units already operational in China and Russia.