The federal government through the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) has picked Geregu in Kogi state and Itu in Akwa Ibom state as sites for building two nuclear power plants in Nigeria that could generate up to 2,000megawatts (mw) of electricity.
This was disclosed in a presentation at the plenary of the Phase 2 Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) Mission in Abuja.
NAEC Chairman, Mr. Erepamo Osaisai said part of its progress is the concluded preliminary site selection activities and “detailed evaluation and charactersiation to be conducted on preferred sites on the approval of government in Geregu, Ajaokuta Local government area of kogi state and Itu in Itu LGA of Akwa Ibom state.”
Erepamo said the plants will be co-financed by Rosatom, which will then build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) them to the government.
He noted that the preliminary licensing of the approved sites is expected by the end of 2016 from the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) which is currently developing the licences’ procedures.
The commission said training and capacity building for building and operating the plants are on-going while it has developed a framework to establish a ‘National Nuclear Insurance Policy and Scheme’ to “adequately address the civil liability of component for the Nuclear Power industry in conformity with the 1963 Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage.”
However, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Dr. Godknows Igali said government’s intervention in the power sector includes the diversification of the electricity sources from the present 80percent gas and 20percent hydro to integrate nuclear power to meet its target of generating 20,000megawatts (mw) by year 2020.
Igali said, “With NAEC’s plan to inject 1,200mw from first nuclear power plant in 2025 and increase to 4,800mw in 2035, the energy mix is expected to have increased to about 20percent power generation from clean sources.”