Brazilian nuclear utility Eletronuclear (part of state-owned power company Eletrobras) has extended by 45 days, until 19 August, the deadline for publishing responses received during the public consultation on the bidding contract and draft notices aimed at completing the works at unit 3 of the Angra NPP.
Angra NPP units 1&2 currently generate about 3% of Brazil’s electricity. Construction of Angra 3 with a Siemens/KWU 1,405 MWe pressurised water reactor began in 1984 but was suspended after two years. The project resumed in 2006 and first concrete was poured in 2010. But work stopped again in 2015 following allegations of corruption involving government contracts. The unit was then 65% complete.
In 2022, the newly appointed Eletronuclear ordered construction to restart but in April 2023 the city government of Angra dos Reis ordered work to stop again citing various issues including the promised payment of compensation.
In March 2024, Eletronuclear launched a public consultation on completion of Angra 3. It said the amount invested so far is BRL7.8bn ($1.5bn) and to complete the plant a further BRL20bn will be needed. Some 67% of the civil work has already been carried out. In June, Eletronuclear won its appeal in the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice, removing the embargo on work to complete Angra 3. Eletronuclear committed to maintaining an open dialogue with the City of Angra dos Reis on its priority projects.
Eletronuclear said the decision to extend the deadline depended on the quantity and nature of the contributions received during the public consultation. Eletronuclear added that it evaluates the participation of interested agents in the bidding process as positive and emphasises that the extension of the deadline does not impact the company’s planning.
With technical support from the National Bank for Economic & Social Development (BNDES – Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social), the public consultation sought to obtain suggestions for improvements in documents related to Engineering, Purchasing & Construction Management (EPC) services, including the Risk Matrix and other contractual complements.
Currently, Eletronuclear is awaiting the completion of independent studies, currently being developed by BNDES. The studies will be analysed by the Energy Research Company (EPE – Empresa de Pesquisa Energética), the Ministry of Mines & Energy and the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE – Conselho Nacional de Política Energética), which will be responsible for defining the grant and approving the commercialisation tariff for the energy generated by Angra 3.
Independent studies on the completion of Angra 3 were commissioned in 2019, during the government of Jair Bolsonaro, when the project was included in the Investment Partnerships Program (PPI). A first version was completed BNDES and delivered in November 2022. With the change of government in 2023, however, it was decided to review the studies, which are being conducted by Tractebel, part of the Engie group, to evaluate the technical, economic and legal plausibility of the project.
Meanwhile, the President of Eletronuclear, Raul Lycurgo Leite, paid a visit to Brazil’s nuclear heavy engineering company Nuclebrás Equipamentos Pesados (Nuclep), which has been participating in the construction of submarines for the Brazilian Navy and also for the construction of equipment for the Angra 3. Nuclep President Carlos Henrique Silva Seixas said the equipment destined for Angra 3 is ready to be installed. This includes the reactor vessel, which has remained in perfect condition since the 1981 contract, and four steam generators.
“Every two years, the qualification and certification inspection of equipment is carried out to be operated at any time. Once determined, they can be installed in Angra 3″, stated Seixas. He noted the long partnership between the companies in development of the Brazilian nuclear sector. He said that “by the end of the year, we can finally get Angra 3 off the ground and regain its great strength”.
He added: “Until then, Nuclep will play a key role in maintaining this equipment, bringing recognition to the importance of the company.… It is crucial to reinforce the relevance of the historic partnership for the development of the sector, which transcends Angra 3 and brings perspectives for future projects.”
