Trends in Effective Nuclear Waste Management Procedures: Options for Nigeria’s Emerging Nuclear Power Industry

Abstract

Nigeria’s current dismal national power generation capacity provides impetus for the present quest by the federal government to exploit alternative energy sources for beneficial domestic and industrial usage. A critical component of this strategic endeavour is the effort to exploit the potential of the atom for purposes of nuclear power generation. However, the nuclear industry is confronted with diverse challenges; prominent among these is the problem of ionizing radiation management.  In this paper, we examine the nuclear fuel cycle and the challenges of efficient radioactive waste disposal procedures and techniques, highlighting the underlying principles for the various procedures, the current global scientific and technical issues in radioactive waste management and the risk of terrorist attack on spent fuel storage facilities. Our findings indicate that in spite of the challenges of the nuclear industry, effective nuclear fuel management procedures are available making nuclear energy a viable alternative for purposes of national energy security.

Keywords: Nuclear waste management, Geological disposition, High Level Waste, Radioactive waste, spent fuel.