Other than Angra 3, Brazil does not envisage any new nuclear power plants starting operation before 2021, the country’s energy minister Márcio Zimmermann has revealed.
Brazil’s new ten-year energy plan will only contain the provision for Angra 3, currently under construction, he told Brazilian press. The 1405 MW Angra 3 pressurized water reactor is currently due to be completed by around 2015.
Prior to the announcement Brazil was aiming to have a new 1000 MW unit starting operation before the end of the decade. According to Leonam dos Santos Guimaraes of Eletronuclear plans were expected to be delayed by up to 18-months due to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan.
Zimmerman went on to note that the plan is expected to include the possibility for the construction of four to eight nuclear power plants by 2030. However, he added that further discussion would be needed before any firm decisions are made.
Despite the seemingly negative news Zimmerman told reporters “let’s wait for the next plan [to 2022],” which suggests that delays are only expected to be minor.
