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Angra 3, the Brazilian nuclear plant that promises 1,4 gigawatts of energy, remains unfinished after almost a decade. With maintenance costs of R$250 million per year, the future of the project remains uncertain.
For almost a decade, a sleeping giant on the seafront in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, has remained dormant, draining millions of reais annually from the pockets of Brazilians without delivering what was promised.
A Angra 3 nuclear power plant, which should be a milestone in the country's energy history, became a true monument to waste and lack of planning.
Even with 65% of construction completed e 85% of equipment purchased, the project, which It began to be built in the 1970s and stopped in 2015. But why, after so much time and money invested, has Angra 3 still not taken off the ground?
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Works stopped and an uncertain future
A Almirante Álvaro Alberto Nuclear Power Station, home of the only power plants nuclear plants in operation in Brazil, Angra 1 and 2, is also the place where the construction of the third plant, Angra 3, is stalled.
Since 2015, works have been halted, and the plant, which promised to generate 1,4 gigawatts of power, remains as an unfinished concrete “mausoleum”.
Second information obtained, the strike occurred in the context of Operation Lava Jato, which investigated deviations and irregularities in the construction of the unit.
According to experts, an investment of R$ 23 to 27 billion to complete the work, which has already consumed billions since its inception.
A symbol of mismanagement and waste
When visiting the site, it is possible to observe that, although the generator building is almost finished, the structure that will house the reactor, spherical in shape, is only half completed.
The scenery is desolate: concrete pillars that support nothing and exposed rebar, silent witnesses of a work that, if not completed, could become one of the biggest white elephants in recent Brazilian history.
Recently, the minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, has been in favor of resuming the works. In a hearing before the Mines and Energy Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, he compared the current situation to a “mausoleum” that cannot be left for future generations.
“None of us, in good conscience, will carry or keep that mausoleum (Angra 3), to serve as a visitation to the world of the failure of the Brazilian government's management”, stated the minister.
Expectations for the future
The final decision on whether or not to continue the works is in the hands of the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE), which must analyze the study conducted by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES).
Second the minister, the cost-benefit of the work should not be questioned, especially after all the investment already made.
Even without a detailed survey of the costs accumulated so far, the $ 20 billion mentioned by the minister for the completion of the project are considered modest according to sector experts.
Furthermore, the cost of discontinuing works must also be taken into account, as industry sources estimate that cancellation could cost between R$ 12 and 17 billion in subsidies and exemptions that would have to be returned.
The financial and energy impact from Angra 3
While the decision is not made, the Angra 3 plant continues to consume resources. Second most recent data, the annual maintenance cost of stopped works reaches R $ million 250, a significant amount for a plant that has yet to produce a single megawatt of power.
Brazil, which since the government of Juscelino Kubitschek has sought to dominate nuclear technology, now finds itself facing a dilemma: invest more billions in a project that has already been tarnished by corruption scandals or give up and bear the costs of an unfinished project.
A crucial decision for Brazil’s energy future
The completion of Angra 3 could, in theory, strengthen the Brazilian energy matrix, diversifying electricity generation sources and reducing dependence on hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants.
However, continuing the work also implies a high financial cost, in addition to the challenge of overcoming the distrust of the population and investors regarding the safety and viability of the project.
With the future of the plant still uncertain, the question remains: will Brazil have the courage to complete Angra 3, or will it become another chapter in the book of the country's unfinished works?
And do you believe that Angra 3 can still be completed, or are we facing yet another white elephant that only consumes resources without generating benefits? Leave your opinion in the comments!
Don't worry about that, my friends. Whenever there is any investment for Rio de Janeiro, all possible obstacles from the ANTIS Rio de Janeiro will come along. This also happens with the Itaboraí refinery, it almost happened with the Galeão airport, the Pão de Açúcar zip line, the Flamengo stadium, and so on, because no investment is facilitated or directed to the State of Rio de Janeiro, which apparently is interested in removing the State of Rio de Janeiro from the map of Brazil. This is more than visible and notorious. If it were in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, or any state in the South or Northeast, it would already be working with full steam ahead, but since it is in Rio de Janeiro, it is quite likely that it will not even work.