‘Nigeria to Generate Power from Nuclear Tech by 2019’
From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja, 06.11.2010

Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) has said Nigeria can commenceelectricity generation through the use of nuclear energy by2019 with an initial capacity of 1000MW.
Director General and chief executive of NAEC, Dr. Erepamo Osaisai,made this known yesterday when he received the House ofRepresentatives committee on Science and Technology on a visit to theNuclear Technology Centre, Sheda, near Abuja.

Osaisai who conducted the visitors round some ongoing nuclear projectsat the Nuclear Technology Centre said an additional capacity of 400mw would be generated by 2019 through the nuclear energy programme of theFederal Government.

Among the projects inspected were a multi-purpose researcher’s hostelwhich was awarded at the cost of N482 million and the one for theconstruction of low and intermediate radioactive waste storagefacility which was awarded at the cost of N401 million.

“All things being equal, Nigeria will generate 1000mw of nuclearelectricity by 2019 and an additional capacity of 400mw 10 yearsthereafter," Osaisai said, stressing that NAEC had commenced fullimplementation of the National Strategic Programme put in place by thefederal government for nuclear power generation.

While calling for adequate funding for the successful implementationof the nuclear energy programme, the Director General assured that the Commission would do everything possible to ensure that Nigeria joinsthe comity of nations using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Thats an area of electricity production i have been looking at the moment

the good thing about it is that, it is quite clean, and

Nuclear Plants are quite self sufficient so electricity production is almost guaranteed, so far we pay for the enriched uranium thereby we minimise the "Nigerian" issues with power production (low water level in kainji or naija delta boys destroying gas pipelines)

Nuclear power producing plants are almost always secured by a branch of the military so that should reduce security fears, Nuclear plants most times are built close to rivers for fresh source of water to cool the reactors

Off the top of me head, i will propose a location in Ogun state, its a relatively peaceful state and has a lot of potential industrial customers

Main issue with Nuclear power is the cost, yet to confirm but it costs abour £5bn for a 1600MW station (Sizewell C)

I think it is feasible for us to generate power using nuclear energy, let them just wait until my next contract and i can provide experience

^^
The Nuclear Technology Center is just an office, not a reactor or power plant. Remember we have NASRDA, where nothing is actually built, but a bunch of scientists are resuming every day.

Tmoni:

Main issue with Nuclear power is the cost, yet to confirm but it costs abour £5bn for a 1600MW station (Sizewell C)

Well, if you look at the billions of $$ purportedly committed to revamping the power sector over the last decade, we should have built maybe 5 nuclear plants for the same money.
Iran in the same period built a plant for $4-6 billion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_program_of_Iran
Naija na wa.

@ Ajanlekoko, i dont really know all the agencies or parastatals in naija but it is stupid to have a nuclear agency when we aint doing anything nuclear related

Naija is just mad, the newspaper article was talking about contracts for building hostels and office accomodation

No talk about feasibility studies, designs, prices, reactor type (Areva EPR or Toshiba AP100 or even the Korean system)

Hopefully, sometime soon, some reasonable person will be in charge of this agency and things can get started sha,
Main issue will still be transmossion and distribution

But if we get all the hostility in the naija delta sorted then we might not need these reactors

what has this got to do with career?

on topic

how sure are you that this will function safely? can we maintain it? It is common knowledge that it's maintenance free, but periodic checks need to be done for safety reasons. Even if it will create 10Million jobs i don't want this plant to be in my dear Delta State.

If the reactors are built, there will be job opportunities or careers for

To name a few

at design phase
1. Project Manager
2. Head of Desgn
3. Lead Discipline Design Engineers (Civils, M& E, OHL)
4. Design Engineers
5. Surveyors

at construction phase
1. Project Manager (Client facing, Stakeholders, Govt liason)
2. Project Manager (Technical, subcontractors, third party suppliers)
3. Project Controls (Me hopefully )
4. HSE Manager & officals
5. Project administrators
6. Project QS
7. Iron bender  

at installation & commisioning phase
1. Lead Install & Commision engr
2. Install & commision engrs
3. FAT specialists

at handover phase (electricity running)
1. Site Manager
2. NEPA enginer
3. Maintenance engineers
4. Mr "turn off the light" at egbeda

@ Agitator

it is not maintenance free, you have to be on the ball very much with these sites

If the country decides to build the reactor in Delta state, i will bid for the contract to supply Lead containment suits to the country
Delta state is a very big NO-NO, make DT boys no cause mayhem

Ogun state is a relatively peaceful state and seems to have the necessary topological requirements

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

i hope this will not be another Chernobyl, knowing how things are done in this country.

nice one

@Agitator

i posted something about possible jobs that might be created if this scheme takes off

I can see in my posts but not on the thread, any explanations please

@stagger,
I think the industry has moved and learnt alot from Chernobly, if u have spare time, look at the RCA (Root Cause Analysis) report for chenobly

@all, wheres my post

super story!

are u serious?? 2019?. . .o well, until then, lets all get comfortable with the LIGHTS OFFF!!

abeg we are not yet disciplined enough o. naija is very unserious country. this is a very dangerous thing we are going into. it needs more discipline than car making. its more like we want to state playing with danger. whoever want to start that thing should locate it in his village.

Please see below. May God Help Us.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2922103
http://environment.about.com/b/2010/04/26/chernobyl-world-still-feel-effects-of-historys-worst-nuclear-accident.htm
[url]http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jmoilane/nuclear/Accidents.html[/url]
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.html
http://www.atomicarchive.com/Reports/Japan/Accidents.shtml

then this
http://www.google.com.ng/images?um=1&hl=en&tbs=isch:1&sa=1&q=chernobyl+pictures+of+victims&aq=o&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

This people were very careful o. We will not be careful enough to manage such a dangerous thing. make we leave am for oyibo. There's solar, wind, water and other renewable energy systems we can use. and nuclear results in radioactive toxic waste you have to pack tight in heavy lead containers for hundreds of years before they reach their half life. i am sure you will see so many of the emptied boxes littered everywhere.

@topic,

NA TODAY

CAN THESE OUR SHORTSIGHTED MO-FOS IN POWER SEE BEYOND THEIR NOSE TALK LESS OF PLANING FOR 2019?

WHAT HAPPENED TO VISION 2010, 2020

Nigeria will generate power from power in 2050! Tales by Moonlight.

I still don't know why they won't deregulate this power sector? Why did they allow private cos into the mobile phone market? Why didn't the govt. run the mobile phone cos and forbid privatization? If they can allow private cos in the mobile phone sector, why not use the same rationale and allow private cos in the electricity sector? They stand to make more money than the mobile phone cos.

Princek12:

I still don't know why they won't deregulate this power sector? Why did they allow private cos into the mobile phone market? Why didn't the govt. run the mobile phone cos and forbid privatization? If they can allow private cos in the mobile phone sector, why not use the same rationale and allow private cos in the electricity sector? They stand to make more money than the mobile phone cos.

The mobile phone sector wasn't privatized. It was liberalised, and the private sector was allowed to participate.
Government can't just sell licenses in the case of power. It has a more significant environmental impact, and there are security implications. We can't just put power generation in the hands of the likes of an MTN. Distribution, sure, but not generation. Even in the developed world, that's not the case.

AjanleKoko:

The mobile phone sector wasn't privatized. It was liberalised, and the private sector was allowed to participate.
Government can't just sell licenses in the case of power. It has a more significant environmental impact, and there are security implications. We can't just put power generation in the hands of the likes of an MTN. Distribution, sure, but not generation. Even in the developed world, that's not the case.

I have a problem understanding your point of view.

Which is better for the economy (even the security) of this country between a regular uninterupted power supply from a foreign owned company and the perennial darkness we have in the hands of Nigerian operators? If your concern is internal security shouldnt telecoms that is already in the hands of these foreigners be more paramount?

My primary concern is that our policy makers may be thinking exactly the same way. Which means the healthy competition b/w local and international telecom operators Nigerians benefit from daily can never be replicated in the power sector.

The whole idea of generating power from nuclear plant in Nigeria should be shelved indefinitely. We can utilize the same resources for other means of power gen that is safer and just as reliable.

The president should be wary of advisers with fantastic proposals meant just to corner a certain amt in budgetary allocation. The way things are in Nigeria, it is laughable, dangerous and irresponsible of any govt to pursue this course. Acquiring the technology is hardly the issue. But we lack the basic minimum requirement in probity and accountability. Before you know it we are going to start cutting corners in its installation and maintenance and the consequences is better imagined.

IMHO, I think the Govt should sort out the refineries first, then try and maintain it for 10yrs b4 thinking of DIVING into nuclear Power stations.

Lack of appropriate maintenance culture is one of our greatest problems, and as the above poster noted, they will surely cut corners, and who knows die b4 the final installations, and the problem will come back to us.

Pennywise:

I have a problem understanding your point of view.

Which is better for the economy (even the security) of this country between a regular uninterupted power supply from a foreign owned company and the perennial darkness we have in the hands of Nigerian operators? If your concern is internal security shouldnt telecoms that is already in the hands of these foreigners be more paramount?

My primary concern is that our policy makers may be thinking exactly the same way. Which means the healthy competition b/w local and international telecom operators Nigerians benefit from daily can never be replicated in the power sector.

I'll safely assume you are not a professional in either sector. Who said the competition in the telecom sector is healthy?

Let me do my best to explain my point of view.
When the telecom liberalization started, the major idea was to ensure private sector participation, in order to increase the nation's footprint to the consumer. NITEL could not be the only operator selling service and managing infrastructure at the same time. Good idea, abi?

So licenses were sold, and the idea was that NITEL would still carry the local interconnect between operators, and international traffic, and the private operators will focus on connecting subscribers and not worry about connecting to other operators.
However, things did not quite work out. NITEL was already crippled by government neglect, same as PHCN is today. So the operators suffered, and NCC decided to appoint a second national carrier, Glo.

What did Glo do? Rushed into mobile and started to engage the other operators in breakneck competition. Forgetting that, as a second national carrier, they should provide the other players with service. As at today, all the other operators are connecting directly to each other for local interconnect, and terminating to foreign carriers, meaning billions of dollars in revenue lost to foreign carriers like Belgacom.
Why do you think no operator wants to touch Glo-1, but are waiting anxiously for Main One?

My point? Government incompetence at managing NITEL and PHCN does not make it right to hand over strategic national assets to foreigners. Our power and communications cannot be 100% in the hands of foreigners, as a sovereign nation. Nobody does that anywhere, rather they look for the best way to protect the assets while ensuring good unbiased competition in the marketplace. Nigeria's own policy of trying to cash out of everything, or sell to their proxies, is just as sick and idiotic as the original mismanagement that brought us here in the first place.

Imagine, the nation is even trying to sell its international airports!

AjanleKoko:

I'll safely assume you are not a professional in either sector. Who said the competition in the telecom sector is healthy?

You dont need to be an electrical engineer in order to put up a light bulb. I believe you can safely assume that much.

AjanleKoko:


Let me do my best to explain my point of view.
When the telecom liberalization started, the major idea was to ensure private sector participation, in order to increase the nation's footprint to the consumer. NITEL could not be the only operator selling service and managing infrastructure at the same time. Good idea, abi?

So licenses were sold, and the idea was that NITEL would still carry the local interconnect between operators, and international traffic, and the private operators will focus on connecting subscribers and not worry about connecting to other operators.
However, things did not quite work out. NITEL was already crippled by government neglect, same as PHCN is today. So the operators suffered, and NCC decided to appoint a second national carrier, Glo.

What did Glo do? Rushed into mobile and started to engage the other operators in breakneck competition. Forgetting that, as a second national carrier, they should provide the other players with service. As at today, all the other operators are connecting directly to each other for local interconnect, and terminating to foreign carriers, meaning billions of dollars in revenue lost to foreign carriers like Belgacom.
Why do you think no operator wants to touch Glo-1, but are waiting anxiously for Main One?

My point? Government incompetence at managing NITEL and PHCN does not make it right to hand over strategic national assets to foreigners. Our power and communications cannot be 100% in the hands of foreigners, as a sovereign nation. Nobody does that anywhere, rather they look for the best way to protect the assets while ensuring good unbiased competition in the marketplace. Nigeria's own policy of trying to cash out of everything, or sell to their proxies, is just as sick and idiotic as the original mismanagement that brought us here in the first place.

None of the above contradicts the fact that the cost of acquiring a sim card crashed from N21,000 (yes, I paid that much) to next to nothing when Glo became operational. Everyone seem to have forgotten about the per min billing rip-off that the foreign operators held on to for a long time due to 'tech issues involved' that Glo saved Nigerians from. Added to that are the numerous value added services to get consumers attention and patronage by all the networks.

Your argument veered towards Glo the national carrier when you saw clearly I was referring to Glo the operator. Such tactic work when you are dealing with a minor or NL resident intellectuals.

Ajanlekoko, I dont believe you removed my post. This one-

Quote from: AjanleKoko on Yesterday at 06:38:32 PM

I'll safely assume you are not a professional in either sector. Who said the competition in the telecom sector is healthy?

You dont need to be an electrical engineer in order to put up a light bulb. I believe you can safely assume that much.

Quote from: AjanleKoko on Yesterday at 06:38:32 PM

Let me do my best to explain my point of view.
When the telecom liberalization started, the major idea was to ensure private sector participation, in order to increase the nation's footprint to the consumer. NITEL could not be the only operator selling service and managing infrastructure at the same time. Good idea, abi?

So licenses were sold, and the idea was that NITEL would still carry the local interconnect between operators, and international traffic, and the private operators will focus on connecting subscribers and not worry about connecting to other operators.
However, things did not quite work out. NITEL was already crippled by government neglect, same as PHCN is today. So the operators suffered, and NCC decided to appoint a second national carrier, Glo.

What did Glo do? Rushed into mobile and started to engage the other operators in breakneck competition. Forgetting that, as a second national carrier, they should provide the other players with service. As at today, all the other operators are connecting directly to each other for local interconnect, and terminating to foreign carriers, meaning billions of dollars in revenue lost to foreign carriers like Belgacom.
Why do you think no operator wants to touch Glo-1, but are waiting anxiously for Main One?

My point? Government incompetence at managing NITEL and PHCN does not make it right to hand over strategic national assets to foreigners. Our power and communications cannot be 100% in the hands of foreigners, as a sovereign nation. Nobody does that anywhere, rather they look for the best way to protect the assets while ensuring good unbiased competition in the marketplace. Nigeria's own policy of trying to cash out of everything, or sell to their proxies, is just as sick and idiotic as the original mismanagement that brought us here in the first place.

None of the above contradicts the fact that the cost of acquiring a sim card crashed from N21,000 (yes, I paid that much) to next to nothing when Glo became operational. Everyone seem to have forgotten about the per min billing rip-off that the foreign operators held on to for a long time due to 'tech issues involved' that Glo saved Nigerians from. Added to that are the numerous value added services to get consumers attention and patronage by all the networks.

Your argument veered towards Glo the national carrier when you saw clearly I was referring to Glo the operator. Such tactic work when you are dealing with a minor or NL resident intellectuals.

AjanleKoko:

I'll safely assume you are not a professional in either sector. Who said the competition in the telecom sector is healthy?

You dont need to be an electrical engineer in order to put up a light bulb. I believe you can safely assume that much.

AjanleKoko:


Let me do my best to explain my point of view.
When the telecom liberalization started, the major idea was to ensure private sector participation, in order to increase the nation's footprint to the consumer. NITEL could not be the only operator selling service and managing infrastructure at the same time. Good idea, abi?

So licenses were sold, and the idea was that NITEL would still carry the local interconnect between operators, and international traffic, and the private operators will focus on connecting subscribers and not worry about connecting to other operators.
However, things did not quite work out. NITEL was already crippled by government neglect, same as PHCN is today. So the operators suffered, and NCC decided to appoint a second national carrier, Glo.

What did Glo do? Rushed into mobile and started to engage the other operators in breakneck competition. Forgetting that, as a second national carrier, they should provide the other players with service. As at today, all the other operators are connecting directly to each other for local interconnect, and terminating to foreign carriers, meaning billions of dollars in revenue lost to foreign carriers like Belgacom.
Why do you think no operator wants to touch Glo-1, but are waiting anxiously for Main One?

My point? Government incompetence at managing NITEL and PHCN does not make it right to hand over strategic national assets to foreigners. Our power and communications cannot be 100% in the hands of foreigners, as a sovereign nation. Nobody does that anywhere, rather they look for the best way to protect the assets while ensuring good unbiased competition in the marketplace. Nigeria's own policy of trying to cash out of everything, or sell to their proxies, is just as sick and idiotic as the original mismanagement that brought us here in the first place.

None of the above contradicts the fact that the cost of acquiring a sim card crashed from N21,000 (yes, I paid that much) to next to nothing when Glo became operational. Everyone seem to have forgotten about the per min billing rip-off that the foreign operators held on to for a long time due to 'tech issues involved' that Glo saved Nigerians from. Added to that are the numerous value added services to get consumers attention and patronage by all the networks.

Your argument veered towards Glo the national carrier when you saw clearly I was referring to Glo the operator. Such tactic work when you are dealing with a minor or NL intellectuals.

^^
I didn't remove your post. The spambot did. You must have copied and pasted the text.
I have reported it, and it should be visible soon.

By the way, you didn't seem to understand my point. There is nothing wrong with private sector being involved with distribution. Not generation though. Nigeria has to be strategic about allowing foreigners access to our natural resources, whether oil, gas, or uranium.
I'll still say that, being directly involved in these sectors at a macro level is different from reading about them on the pages of newspapers. A lot of our sentiments are based on the lack of information or experience of the subject matter.
I'll give you a few examples from the telecom sector:

1. Are you aware that MTN and Glo routinely cut each other's fiber cables to disrupt service on each other's network, until NCC had to step in not too long ago?

2. Are you aware that at a time, Glo offered to terminate international calls at N5 to all the PTOs (CDMA and other FWA operators), only to demand for 1bn bank guarantees, which they routinely cashed in without resource to reconciliation on a monthly basis?

3. Are you aware that some operators routinely buy up each others' SIM and RCV stock, and routinely destroy them, in order to ensure only their products would be available in trade?

Now, while we should encourage foreign direct investment and private sector participation in the consumer market (that's basically the operator service in telecom, the downstream sector in oil and gas, and the distribution services in power), the nation must be extremely careful when it comes to wholesale business (carrier services in telecom, upstream sector in petroleum, power generation in the electricity market). Government cannot hand over power generation 100% to foreigners or the private sector to manage. That would mean direct access to our resources, gas, or maybe uranium in the case of nuclear power. The original mismanagement problems have to be corrected, and the role of the private sector must be clearly defined.

That's just my position. After all, I work in the private sector, so why would I be defending government? I've always worked with multinationals, and I can assure you, they are never interested in the long-term development of any region where they operate, more of their own short-term interests. We just need to fix our government. Handing over the nation to the private sector is not a good solution.

It was a 2 paragraph response that did not require research of any kind, so why do I need to copy and paste?

I am glad it is not what I tot. I have seen a 'glamorous' mod rearrange and delete posts on a thread owing to failure in commonsense and logic over a very simple matter. I will be happy to see that post thanks and BTW its in my profile- which means this has to be a thread-specific spambot.

AjanleKoko:

^^By the way, you didn't seem to understand my point. There is nothing wrong with private sector being involved with distribution. Not generation though. Nigeria has to be strategic about allowing foreigners access to our natural resources, whether oil, gas, or uranium.
I'll still say that, being directly involved in these sectors at a macro level is different from reading about them on the pages of newspapers. A lot of our sentiments are based on the lack of information or experience of the subject matter.
I'll give you a few examples from the telecom sector:

1. Are you aware that MTN and Glo routinely cut each other's fiber cables to disrupt service on each other's network, until NCC had to step in not too long ago?

2. Are you aware that at a time, Glo offered to terminate international calls at N5 to all the PTOs (CDMA and other FWA operators), only to demand for 1bn bank guarantees, which they routinely cashed in without resource to reconciliation on a monthly basis?

3. Are you aware that some operators routinely buy up each others' SIM and RCV stock,  and routinely destroy them, in order to ensure only their products would be available in trade?

Now, while we should encourage foreign direct investment and private sector participation in the consumer market (that's basically the operator service in telecom, the downstream sector in oil and gas, and the distribution services in power), the nation must be extremely careful when it comes to wholesale business (carrier services in telecom, upstream sector in petroleum, power generation in the electricity market). Government cannot hand over power generation 100% to foreigners or the private sector to manage. That would mean direct access to our resources, gas, or maybe uranium in the case of nuclear power. The original mismanagement problems have to be corrected, and the role of the private sector must be clearly defined.

That's just my position. After all, I work in the private sector, so why would I be defending government? I've always worked with multinationals, and I can assure you, they are never interested in the long-term development of any region where they operate, more of their own short-term interests. We just need to fix our government. Handing over the nation to the private sector is not a good solution.

Your knowledge of these matters is not in doubt and I respect that.

What is also not in doubt is competitors trying to undo one another-that is why we have a govt, for regulation and law enforcement.

What I have said all along is that the nuclear option should be removed from the table for 1001 reasons. But private concerns and foreigners should be encouraged to participate via other means in power gen, transmission and distr -all areas the govt have failed woefully to deliver.

I wonder which has more strategic security significance between unfettered access to a country's gas/oil reserve, telecommunication, infrastructures (name it state House and all- they were built by foreigners who still have their blueprint) and access to power generation/distri.

Finally we did not have to fix the govt (like you recommended) to get telecoms to work. Then why do we have to do that to get power?

Thanks

2019?

who says we can have it now? thwese people are just politricking us. my hod once told us his tales. in 1978 when obasanjo inaugurated the Nigeria atomic agency, he was fortunate to be among the chosen one. he said after the inaugural meetings, official cars and take off grant were given to the officials and members of the committee. he said that at that time many of them were motivated by such a move and thus ready to work even without any pay. they waited for further instructions, but non came. after many trails, many of them even went to the directorate headquarter to make inquires on the next step to take, but the reply they got was that there is no message from the then aso rock (dodan barrack). that was how the tempo gragually decayed to zero.

well, as for me, i had put up a lot of research papers in my university days and even did my final year projects on these fields. its a pity that these papers are lying fallow in my library. 2019 is a period say for people in pry 6 now. how are we synthesizing them by preparing them for these task? well, i don't know if i will still be alive then because it is a long time from now, but if i am, of what relevant will i, or many of our present professionals be by then, i am sure, many would have resigned from the labour market then.