NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION;

CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES
AND PROSPECT

Nuclear Science and Technology Department

Akinmola Olukolapo
3rd April, 2014

OUTLINE

Introduction
Nuclear Power Generation
Challenges posed in nuclear power generation
Opportunities
Prospects
Case Study: Bottlenecks to Integrating nuclear power
generation into Nigerias Energy Mix
Recommendation
Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Electricity can be generated in many different ways. To

provide the electricity needed to supply our homes and
industries in terms of reliable and continuous supply, only
three energy sources can do the job today namely: fossil
fuels, hydroelectric power and nuclear energy.
Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power
only operate when the wind blows or the sun shines and
therefore needs backup generation.
Growth in energy demand and the release of greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere has become a major challenge for
the global world today.

With the rising global demand for energy, its becomes imperative
to look for a way to meet this growing demand by using other
sources of energy generation.
In developed countries of the world, Nuclear energy performs a
crucial role in their energy mix which accounts for 13-14% of the
worlds electricity.
Of the thirty one countries in which nuclear power plants operate
as shown in table 1, only France, Belgium and Slovakia use
them as the primary source of electricity as depicted in figure 1.
The growing interest in nuclear energy is influenced by the role it
plays in climate-change-reducing efforts, since nuclear technology
produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than fossil-fuel-based
plants.

Table 1: Nuclear power plants world-wide,

in operation and under construction,
IAEA as of 11 March 2014
Country

In operation
Electr. net
Number

Under construction
Electr.

output

Number

MW
Argentina

935

Armenia

375

Belarus

Belgium

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada
China
(6 reactors in
Taiwan)
Czech Republic

Finland

France

Slovakia
53.8%

output
MW 717

1.109

1,245

1,906

19

13,500

21

16,890

28

3,804

2,752

1,600

63,130

1,600

1,884

Belgium 51%

net

58

5,927

France
74.85%

27,756

Germany

12,068

Hungary

1,889

Figure 1: Nuclear share in electricity generation, 2012

(IAEA 2014)
http://www.euronuclear.org/info/encyclopedia/n/nuclearpower-plant-world-wide.htm

NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION

Nuclear power is the use of

sustained nuclear fission to generate
heat and electricity. Nuclear power
plants provide about 6 percent of the
world's energy and 1314 percent of
the
world's
electricity
(source:
http://www.energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-sources/nucle
ar
)

Nuclear fission is seen as the heart

of the reactor. Uranium-235 is the
most important material in the
development of nuclear power. It is
formed into pellets of 2.5cm which
are arranged into long rods and
collected as bundles. The bundles
are submerged in water inside a
pressure vessel. The water acts as a
coolant.

Figure 2: World electricity generation according to

sources in %.
Source: Nuclear facts-how important is nuclear energy
to the world (www.cna.ca)

Nuclear power plant

Figure 3: Grid System showing the generation, transmission and distribution of

electricity (source: Department of Energy & Climatic Change, 2012. Electricity System:
Assessment of Future Challenges - Annex )

Figure 4: Internal structure of a nuclear power plant

CHALLENGES POSED IN NUCLEAR

POWER GENERATION
Countries now considering new nuclear power generation
are faced with a complex combination of opportunities and
challenges.
The opportunity for growth in the nuclear power
generation industry is offset by a number of major
challenges faced by countries around the world, these
includes:

economic, technical and regulatory issues in building

and refurbishing nuclear reactors;
environmental and health risks associated with
radioactive material, especially long-term waste
management;

concerns regarding nuclear safety and liability;

the maintenance of research and development capacity
in the nuclear sector, including the availability of the
required expertise and skilled workforce; and
public perception
technologies.

and

acceptability

of

nuclear

Its success is dependent on whether the regulatory,

financial, and legislative challenges of the past are
sufficiently considered by those now planning new
projects.

Financial Issues

Legislative &
Environmental Issues

Design of reactors

Financial Incentives

Enactment of clean
energy bill

Safety of designed
reactors

Regulatory Issues

Production tax
credit
Loan Guarantees

Skilled
Manpower
Issues

Training of skilled and

qualified engineers

Figure 5: Ways of solving some of the challenges posed in nuclear power generation

OPPORTUNITIES

These challenges have become more daunting following the

recent crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan,
resulting from the 2011 earthquakes and tsunami, as well as
due to heightened concerns regarding nuclear safety around
the world.
Innovations in nuclear technology are necessary to achieve an
increase in nuclear energys long term contribution to
sustainable development.
Opportunities for the nuclear industry include:
energy demand,
climate change,
energy security.

PROSPECTS

Nuclear energy finds its use which ranges across

different sectors of the economy of the world. The
prospects include:
In food irradiation to protect and extend the shelf life
of food by destroying micro-organisms that causes
spoilage.
Technology can be used in the manufacture of smoke
detectors such as ionization and photo-electric
detectors.
In medical healthcare system for the treatment of
cancer.

Job creation through refurbishment and building of

old and new nuclear power plant.
Nuclear science and technology nurtures career
prospects for qualified scientist and engineers.
In desalination to remove salt from sea water making
it safe for drinking.
In agriculture to eliminate harmful insects using
radiation to sterilize male species .
For aeronautical applications in rocket science.

CASE STUDY: BOTTLENECKS TO INTEGRATING

NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION INTO
NIGERIAS ENERGY MIX

Nuclear power has been viewed as a potential solution

to the countrys energy problem by the then President
Obasanjo & YarAdua led government.
The Administration is promoting the safe use of
nuclear power through support for new nuclear power
plants incorporating state-of-the-art passive safety
features.

Some of the bottlenecks to integrating nuclear power

in Nigeria include:
Security Concerns,
Site to construct the nuclear power plant,
Substandard national electricity grid,
Underdeveloped electricity market,
Lack of indigenous technical capacity,
Ageing power infrastructure.
Financing.
Public perception.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Driven by the need to address climate change and energy
security, Nigeria needs to reshapen its energy portfolio by
employing other low carbon sources to meet the demands of
the growing population. Below are some recommendations:
Develop a national roadmap for nuclear energy.
Strengthen and reinforce the grid network using the smart
grid design approach.
Imbibe the culture of corrective and preventive maintenance
to power facilities across the country.
Have a skilled workforce that can construct, commission
and operate new power stations and develop and operate.
The Government needs to articulate a more coherent policy
on energy, which sets out the medium and long-term energy
mix to support economic development, energy security and
emissions reduction.

Public confidence in nuclear energy is a prerequisite for

large scale investment, and must be built on trust in and
openness of the nuclear actors, both Industry and public
bodies, in particular regarding the relationship with local
stakeholders around nuclear sites.
The potential benefits of nuclear energy which ranges from
energy security and carbon emissions reductions, to
competiveness and local employment issues, should be
presented as a portfolio.
If Nigeria is serious about embracing nuclear technology in
the long term, then it needs to stay abreast of technological
advances through quality research and development in
nuclear fission.

CONCLUSION
Nigeria is now at a crossroads in terms of power supply how
should the energy generation landscape be reshaped?
The key drivers are the need to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, in order to minimize potential climate change, and
to maximize national energy security.
This will involve less coal, perhaps less gas, more renewable
energy and greater energy efficiency.

THANK YOU