POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCB) EQUIPMENT FOR SHEBA CENTER IN NIGERIA

UNDP NIGERIA RECEIVED FUNDING TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL OF PCBS IN NIGERIA PROJECT AND INTENDS TO USE PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS TOWARDS THE SUPPLY, INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING OF POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCB) EQUIPMENT IN SHEBA CENTER - NIGERIA

The ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL OF PCBS IN NIGERIA project intends to assist Nigeria to implement a sound management system for PCBs and other POPs. As part of this project, the Federal Government of Nigeria will upgrade the regulatory regulations to identify, use, manage and properly decontaminate or dispose PCB contaminated equipment still in use or as waste.

The project will also establish three (3) collection centres where PCB wastes from surrounding areas will be collected and prepared for subsequent decontamination or disposal. One of these collection centres will house an environmentally friendly decontamination system where solid materials from transformers, capacitors and other equipment contaminated with PCBs will be properly decontaminated.

These centres will also temporarily house a mobile dichlorination system that will be used to selectively destroy PCBs from transformer mineral oil allowing the efficient and economically attractive decontamination of the dielectric fluid and its use as PCB-free oil in electrical transformers. The project intends to decontaminate 1500 metric tons of PCB-contaminated electrical equipment and to dispose of 200 metric tons of pure PCB from transformers and capacitors.

The establishment of state-of-the-art analytical laboratories in Nigeria and the acquisition of the decontamination and dichlorination systems will allow PCB owners to complete the identification and proper treatment and disposal of the PCBs that will remain in the country beyond the duration of the project. The identification and proper management of PCB-containing equipment and wastes, in addition to the increased people’s awareness of health and environmental risks of these toxic compounds will prevent accidental releases of PCBs, thereby protecting the health of employees, government officials and public in general and preventing the global spread of these chlorinated wastes to other locations.