Brazil begins process to install first nuclear microreactor

Brazil has begun the process of creating the infrastructure necessary to host the country’s first nuclear microreactor, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations reported on the government website. The initiative is aimed at meeting growing demand for clean energy sources and stimulating technological progress in the energy sector.

The power unit that will house the first nuclear microreactor in the country will be built in Rio de Janeiro. It is expected to be commissioned by 2033. The microreactor will have a capacity of 100 watts, sufficient to sustain a controlled nuclear chain reaction. It will be able to supply electricity to small cities, data centres, offshore oil platforms, and various industrial facilities in metallurgy, food processing, chemicals, textiles, and non-metallic mineral products manufacturing.

The project, which brings together 13 partners, began in mid-December of the current year.

Thanks to their compact size, such reactors can be transported to remote regions, providing them with electricity. Experts estimate that 68 per cent of Brazilian municipalities could become consumers of this type of energy, benefiting around 30 million citizens nationwide.

According to the ministry, the project strengthens the country’s position as a centre of advanced scientific and technological expertise in the energy sector and supports the transition to environmentally friendly technologies.

Photo: WangAnQi / iStock