Friday, November 22, 2024

Angra 1 reached criticality in 1982 and entered commercial operation in 1985. The Westinghouse pressurized water reactor has a design capacity of 640 MWe. Eletrobras Eletronuclear also operates Angra 2, a 1275 MWe PWR that started commercial operation in 2001.

The request for the life extension was submitted in 2019. Since then, there has been a “thorough technical evaluation” of the request, a series of studies, four missions carried out by experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency, and an integrated implementation plan for safety improvements.

As part of this plan, there will be upgrades to control systems, physical containment structures and radioactive waste management protocols, the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) said. They will be implemented during maintenance and refueling stops.

CNEN Director of Radiation Protection and Safety Alessandro Facure said: “Every aspect of this process was analyzed with technical rigor and responsibility. Our mission is to ensure that the Angra 1 operation remains safe for workers, the environment and society.”

Eletronuclear said it will invest BRL 3.2 billion ($550 million) between 2023 and 2027, noting that similar plants in the United States had received approval for further extensions to 80 years.

In May, the company said it is also using the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s license renewal application process and said measures already taken to extend life include new steam generators, replacing the reactor pressure vessel lid and replacing the main transformers, as well as implementing aging/obsolescence management systems. It said it would receive short-term financing from its main shareholders, ENBPar and Eletrobras, while negotiations were finalized with the US Export-Import Bank for the full modernization program.

President of Eletronuclear Raul Lycurgo said: “The renewal of Angra 1 should be celebrated and praised because it is the culmination of the great work done by our technical team. Everyone has devoted themselves to the maximum during the last five years and has proven that Angra 1 continues to be completely safe and able to supply steady, clean energy for the development of Brazil.”

Angra 1 generated 4.78 million MWh in 2023 and has had a load factor of 88.24% over the past five years. It supplies enough energy to power a city of two million people.

CNEN said that an important part of the authorization process had been the local emergency plan and the Fukushima response plan, implemented after 2011 – “CNEN teams will continue to monitor the implementation of these measures, including technical improvements and emergency response protocols, which are fundamental to the safety and protection of the facility and surrounding areas”.

The decision was a “milestone” not only in terms of energy production but also in terms of showing the maturity of the regulatory system in Brazil. It said Eletronuclear will also be required to carry out a periodic safety assessment in 2033 “where compliance with the highest international safety standards will be verified”.