NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY: THE CIVIL PERSPECTIVE

Nuclear technology involves the reactions of atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear energy (for power generation), nuclear medicine, Oil and Gas, agriculture and nuclear weapons.

Nuclear Power is a source of energy that has many benefits. Nuclear energy is less expensive because it is based on uranium. Nuclear power is a type of nuclear technology involving the controlled use of nuclear fission to release energy for work including propulsion, heat, and the generation of electricity. Nuclear energy is produced by a controlled nuclear chain reaction which creates heat—and which is used to boil water, produce steam, and drive a steam turbine. The turbine is used to generate electricity and/or to do mechanical work.

Currently nuclear power provides approximately 11% of the world's electricity (based on power plants under construction all over the world, it is hoped that this figure would rise to 30% by 2030) and is used to propel ships, aircraft carriers, icebreakers and submarines.

One important advantage is that producing energy using nuclear power does not give off greenhouse gases, in fact nuclear power plant produces no pollution to the environment and is the cleanest source of electricity. Greenhouse gases are gases like carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, which are contributing to the greenhouse effect or global warming.

The biggest advantage of nuclear technology is the discoveries made in nuclear medicine, such as cancer therapy, CAT scan and MRI machines. The medical applications of nuclear technology are divided into diagnostics and radiation treatment. The largest use of ionizing radiation in medicine is in medical radiography to make images of the inside of the human body using x-rays. This is the largest artificial source of radiation exposure for humans. A number of radiopharmaceuticals are used, sometimes attached to organic molecules, to act as radioactive tracers or contrast agents in the human body. Radiation is also used to treat diseases in radiation therapy.

In the Oil and Gas sector, nuclear well logging is used to help predict the commercial viability of new or existing wells. The technology involves the use of a neutron or gamma-ray source and a radiation detector which are lowered into boreholes to determine the properties of the surrounding rock such as porosity and lithography.

In biology and agriculture, radiation is used to induce mutations to produce new or improved species. Another use in insect control is the sterile insect technique, where male insects are sterilized by radiation and released, so they have no offspring, to reduce the population.

In industrial and food applications, radiation is used for sterilization of tools and equipment. An advantage is that the object may be sealed in plastic before sterilization. An emerging use in food production is the sterilization of food using food irradiation. Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present in the food. The radiation sources used include radioisotope gamma ray sources, X-ray generators and electron accelerators.

In conclusion, today's global challenge is to develop strategies that foster a sustainable energy future less dependent on fossil fuels. As a proven and environmentally benign technology and with its potential as a sustainable long term energy supply into the distant future, nuclear technology can be an important contributor to sustainable development. It is a multipurpose power source providing base-load electricity and offering a wide range of potential applications in the non-electric sector.

If nuclear power is to play a significant role by mid-century in Nigeria, decisions must be taken seriously now. In the near term, the more than 400 existing nuclear reactors all over the World will all need to be replaced and new sites identified. The future demand will call not only for today's evolutionary reactors with improved safety and operating systems, but also for small and medium size reactors for nonelectrical applications and low capacity needs.

Both the nuclear industry and governments face a serious challenge. Institutional and industrial infrastructures must be maintained at a level sufficient to preserve scientific knowledge and industrial capabilities to meet an increased demand. Although in the near term nuclear power is not an option for many developing countries like Nigeria, but technology transfer and local human resource development will be necessary if nuclear power expansion is to meet our future energy needs.

But for nuclear power to play its full role in a less fossil dependent age, its acceptance by the public and at the political level is vital. This article has attempted to clarify some of the issues that currently limit the achievement of this goal in Nigeria.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Nuclear Association (WNA), Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC)