Meteorological Features of NPP Construction Regions in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper considers the application of meteorological characterisation methodology to the regions recommended for NPP construction in Nigeria. Regions Geregu and Itu are considered as such, with significantly different meteorological characteristics, as they are located in different parts of the country (the former in the arid region, in the centre of the country, the latter—on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in the Niger Delta). The methodology provides the mathematical apparatus for calculating the main characteristics of the surface layer of the atmosphere model. The use of this apparatus made it possible to estimate the general character of meteorological characteristics of the regions (longitudinal wind speed, turbulent diffusion coefficient, parameter characterising the transverse dispersion of impurity) and their averaged values used further as some parameters allowing to determine the characteristics of environmental radioactive contamination, which can include the air basin and the underlying surface. The use of a geophysical model of the surface layer of the atmosphere and the meteorological parameters obtained made it possible to answer a number of questions concerning the peculiarities of atmospheric transport of radioactive impurity characteristic of the regions of Nigeria in which the Government of Nigeria intends to build nuclear power plants. Therefore, the axial and transverse distributions of radioactive impurity as a function of atmospheric stability were obtained under hypothetical radiation accidents, which revealed the peculiarities of radioactive impurity distribution in these regions. The presented results of calculations should be taken into account when estimating the size of the buffer area around NPPs in one and another region and the necessary and sufficient number of environmental radiation monitoring stations when they are located within these zones.