The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has advised against the immediate implementation of the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission’s proposal to establish 1200MW nuclear power plants, urging instead a more measured, modular approach to nuclear energy development.
Adelabu made this call during a meeting with the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Anthony Ekedewa, at his office in Abuja.
While acknowledging the strategic importance of nuclear energy, the Minister said the focus should be on scalable, modular nuclear reactors, which align better with the Federal Government’s decentralized power sector reforms.
“This is an area that states can benefit from. A lot of investment has gone into the development of the commission over the years, and Nigeria should start reaping the investment,” Adelabu stated.
He stressed that although nuclear energy is capital intensive and the process complex, the long-term benefits are substantial.
However, he noted that Nigeria has yet to fully exploit its conventional energy resources and must weigh its options carefully.
“I wish we were there already in this country, but we are not there yet. We should, however, ask ourselves how much of the conventional source of energy we have exploited.
“Nuclear power plant tends to be at the lower end of concern over the years, but we have to understand that nuclear energy is the future of energy generation,” he said.
Adelabu admitted that collaboration between the Ministry and the Commission had been lacking in the past but expressed optimism about a renewed partnership.
“We have not been having this rapport in the past, but I’m happy we are starting from somewhere now, and I believe that we will sustain it for the overall benefit of our country.
“This is an advanced level of energy generation, but we must also embrace it because whatever can add value to our power sector, we must embrace.
“As we all know, leaders would naturally want projects that would materialise in their time in office, but any serious government will know that this is the future of the sector. Nuclear energy is the future of power generation.
“So, we must partner with you on how to improve the sector, and this meeting is the right step in the right direction. We have formally established a relationship with you, and we have so much to benefit from each other,” he added.
To strengthen this new partnership, Adelabu proposed a workshop involving the Ministry, NAEC, and other stakeholders in the power sector to brainstorm on sustainable collaboration strategies.
According to him, the initiative would enhance power generation and contribute to stabilizing the electricity sector, in line with ongoing reforms.
Earlier in the meeting, Ekedewa briefed the Minister on the Commission’s activities, noting that NAEC was established in 1976 under the military administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He emphasized that nuclear energy, as a renewable source, has the capacity to power the entire country and revealed that the Commission is proposing the establishment of nuclear power plants capable of generating 1200MW.
SOURCE: thepointng.com