Brazil’s nuclear utility, Eletronuclear (part of Eletrobras), has been authorised by the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN – Comissào National de Energia Nuclear) to operate unit 1 of the Angra NPP for another 20 years, until December 2044. The current operating licence was valid to December 2024.
Eletronuclear applied for extension of the Angra 1 licence in 2019. Since then, the company has established a working group to meet all the requirements of the regulatory body and carry out complete modernisation of the plant. Total investment will be BRL3.2bn ($535m) between 2023 and 2027. This will be invested in four tranches of approximately BRL720m in the first four years (2023 to 2026) and BRL320m in 2027.
Angra NPP has two operating pressurised water reactors (PWRs) – the 640 MWe Angra 1, supplied by US Westinghouse Electric Company, which was connected to the grid in 1985 and the 1,350 MWe Angra 2, supplied by Siemens, which began operation in 2001. Discussions are ongoing on completion of Angra 3, which was 67% complete when work stopped in 2015 due to the collapse of financial support.
Eletronuclear had already undertaken years of preparation towards life extension before the initial request for renewal of its operating licence was submitted to CNEN. Westinghouse in 2020 signed a contract with Eletronuclear to conduct engineering analyses critical to the safety, reliability and long-term operation of Angra 1.
In 2023, Eletronuclear submitted 16 reports to the regulatory body, containing, among other things, assessments of the safety factors defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Based on these, CNEN issued 166 requirements, which were analysed and answered by the technical team of Eletronuclear with support from the Amazul company in April this year. Eletronuclear also carried out the third and final Periodic Safety Reassessment (PSR), which was submitted to CNEN in December 2023. A PSR is required every 10 years to review safety performance, emergency planning, radiological impact on the environment, management system, safety culture, equipment qualification and the experience of other plants.
In addition, Eletronuclear also uses the US License Renewal Application (LRA) process, which is administered by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), to demonstrate the ability of Angra 1 to operate for another two decades. The LRA provides a detailed breakdown of reactor safety and integrity through engineering analysis, safety testing and reviews, etc. The material was delivered in October 2019 to CNEN since when three revisions have been made. Eletronuclear also hosted four IAEA Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation (SALTO) missions in 2013, 2018, 2022 and June 2024.
Eletronuclear says significant advances have already been made to prepare the plant to operate for another 20 years. These include replacement of steam generators, application of weld overlay in the nozzles of the pressuriser, change of the reactor pressure vessel cover and replacement of the main transformers. Some programmes were also implemented, such as ageing management, obsolescence management, as well as inspections and maintenance of plant systems, structures and components.
To finance the safety and modernisation projects, Eletronuclear said it is negotiating a bridging loan of about BRL 800m with its main shareholders, ENBPar and Eletrobras, to finance the investments already made in 2024. This is a short-term solution, while the company negotiates financing with US Eximbank for the necessary funding to 2028.
“The renewal of Angra 1 should be celebrated and praised for crowning the great work performed by our technical staff. All of them have dedicated themselves to the maximum in the last five years and have proven that Angra 1 follows with total security to deliver a firm and clean energy for the development of Brasil”, said Eletronuclear President Raul Lycurgo.
