English 
Spanish 
4 min read
Event in Rio will discuss the potential of nuclear energy to reduce pollution and encourage industry development
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Paulo Alvim, participated in the opening of the XIII International Seminar on Nuclear Energy (SIEN), held this Tuesday (08/11), at the headquarters of the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan) , in the center of the capital of Rio de Janeiro. In this edition, the theme of the event is “Nuclear Technology – Friend of the Climate, Man and the Planet”.
The meeting brings together specialists to discuss nuclear energy and its potential to leverage the development of Brazilian industry and reduce the emission of gases that cause the greenhouse effect. The minister pointed out that the public-private partnership is the main strategy to encourage an increase in supply. “More than energy transition, we are talking about energy sovereignty. And nuclear energy plays a key role in this. It is a state project, ”he said.
The role of nuclear energy in Brazil's energy transition
Held by Casa Viva Eventos, the Seminar will run until Friday (10/11) and will deal with topics such as the role of nuclear energy in the country's and the world's energy transition, its contribution to reducing CO2 emissions, the rigorous standards of security for its production and the business opportunities and job creation that the sector can bring to the country. At the table “Cost of nuclear energy x climate change – for a more collaborative matrix”, Eletronuclear's nuclear engineer, Leonam Guimarães, criticized the view of nuclear energy as a commodity.
- Brazil may dominate the global uranium market but its HUGE nuclear potential is blocked by an outdated regulatory framework and slow political decisions. Understand:
- 100 reactors in 10 years: China's PLAN to become the world's largest nuclear exporter and lead the global sector
- Brazil moves forward with the US, Russia and China to revolutionize the nuclear sector with new reactors and modernization of Angra
- Angra 1: First Brazilian nuclear power plant guarantees operation until 2044 with an investment of R$ 3,2 billion from Eletronuclear!
“There is a misconception about the cost of nuclear energy. There are many variables to calculate the cost of energy. Cost is not the measure of product value. The service provided by a wind farm is different from that offered by a hydroelectric plant. You can't compare”, he explained, considering that an energy production and distribution system with low diversity has little reliability.
The challenge faced to restart the Angra 3 power plant project was the subject of the debate “Angra 3 – the resumption milestone – contract model and new business opportunities. The head of Eletronuclear's Science, Technology, Innovation and Generation Expansion advisory, Marcelo Gomes, said that, in 2018, a group was created at the company to evaluate the continuation of the works.
BNDES can contribute to making nuclear energy projects viable in Brazil
They also decided to hire the BNDES to advise on the creation of a model that was within a specific financial, legal and regulatory framework. “The big problem was risk allocation. The partnership with the BNDES was essential to put this model on track. There are already people on the construction site turning to cement”, he celebrates.
An employee of Nuclep (the company that manufactures equipment for nuclear power plants in Angra) for 27 years, the industrial technician, graduated in engineering, Jairo Bastos, evaluates that of the 17 goals for the millennium, established by the UN, to improve life on the planet, 11 can be achieved with the help of sustainable industrial development. But for that you need clean energy.
He informed, in his lecture, that for every R$1 invested in the construction of a nuclear power plant, R$2 is returned to the federal government. And these companies can be equipped with Brazilian machinery and equipment. “The option would be to import, creating jobs abroad and spending in dollars. The issue is not how much it costs to master a technology. That's how much this domain is worth, which is from few countries, ”he said.
According to the National Energy Balance report, by the Energy Research Company (EPE), in 2021, Brazil used 44,7% of renewable energy, and 55,3% of non-renewable energy. Nuclear energy corresponds to 1,3% of the total Brazilian matrix and reaches 5% worldwide.
The event features participants from the main companies in the nuclear sector, specialists and authorities, such as ABDAN (Brazilian Association for the Development of Nuclear Activities); the Deputy Director General and Head of the Nuclear Energy Department of the International Nuclear Energy Agency – IAEA, Mikhail Chudakov; the presidents of ENBPar, Ney Zanella; from CNEN, Paulo Roberto Pertusi; from Eletronuclear, Eduardo de Souza Grivot Grand Court; from NUCLEP, Carlos Seixas; and from INB, Carlos Freire; and the Technical Director of Amazul, Carlos Alberto Matias.
Source: Nelza Oliveira | First Line Communications
