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Rio is strong candidate to host the country’s fourth nuclear power plant, says minister

Minister Bento Albuquerque told the CNN that the state of Rio de Janeiro is a ‘strong candidate’ to receive Brazil’s fourth nuclear power plant. The federal government’s intention is to increase the amount of energy generated from this type of source, even before the conclusion of Angra 3, even as a way to reduce the future impacts of a new water crisis.

“We have already started studies, by the Energy Research Company together with Eletrobras itself, of possible sites, in other words, places where this plant can be built”, said the minister. Expected to end next year, the CNN found that the studies are still considering other places in the country such as Espírito Santo and Pernambuco.

Viability depends on proximity to the sea, as water is used as a cooling element. The characteristics of the land and the geographic location for the energy generated to reach the National Interconnected System are also considered.

“Rio is a privileged state with regard not only to its geographic position, which is in the Southeast region of the country, but also because of the energy potential it has, not only in oil and gas production but also in nuclear generation – and also throughout the industrial park that exists in Rio de Janeiro. So the state of Rio de Janeiro is a great competitor and other states of the federation as well,” stated Bento Albuquerque.

After years of stoppage, the works on Angra 3 were resumed by the current administration of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The Ministry of Mines and Energy forecasts that they will continue until 2026. The fourth nuclear plant would come before that.

Today, less than 3% of the Brazilian energy matrix comes from the two nuclear plants that the country controls: Angra 1 and Angra 2. “It would be very good if we had 3% and if Angra 3 were already in operation,” said Bento Albuquerque.

The implementation of a fourth nuclear power plant in Brazil is already foreseen in the National Energy Plan and the minister’s intention is to see in this type of source, plants that are “more efficient, smaller than the current ones, also with lower cost and with total safety” .

Reference: CNN Brasil

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