Brazil: Four more nuclear plants by 2030?

11 June 2009

The Brazilian government is indeed planning to build four new nuclear power plants by 2030, a ministerial spokesman has told a governmental climate change committee.

Angra 1: Restarting (Image: Electronuclear)

Altino Ventura, energy planning and development secretary at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, told a public hearing of the Joint Committee on Climate Change that two sites would be developed, one in the north east and one in the southeast of the country.

 

According to the Brazilian governmental news agency, Agencia Brasil, the first plant would be built between Recife and Salvador in the north east and would come on line by 2019. The new plants would be in addition to Angra 3, the country's third nuclear unit, construction of which was put on hold over two decades ago but looks likely to resume this year.
 
Ventura's comments would appear to confirm earlier reports of Brazilian new-build plans.
 
Shaky restart for Angra 1
 
Meanwhile, the older of Brazil's two operating nuclear units, Angra 1, was taken off the grid days after its restart following a major maintenance outage including the replacement of steam generators. Brazilian nuclear operator Electronuclear reported on 4 June that the 626 MWe pressurised water reactor had restarted and was scheduled to reach full capacity on 21 June. However, the unit was taken off line on 10 June following a failure in a valve supplying water to the steam generator. According to Electronuclear, the unit was expected to restart the same day following replacement of the faulty component.
 

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