Brazilian Nuclear Program

ERNW – Daniel de Macedo Abrão

Czech Technical University - CTU

Prague, Czech Republic – May 2011

Index

• Brazilian Power Generation;

• History of Nuclear Power Generation in Brazil;

• Future Plans;

• Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil.

Brazilian Power Generation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Hydralic ConventionalThermal

Nuclear

Type MW %

Hydraulic 41848 91,3

Conventional

Thermal 2820 6,2

Nuclear 1153 2,5

Total 45821 100

Itaipu Hydroelectric

Power Plant

History of Nuclear Power Generation in Brazil;

• 1951 – President Getulio Vargas created National Research Council (CNPq);

• 1953 - Admiral Álvaro Alberto negotiate without success the acquisition of 3

ultracentrifuges;

• 1956 - Creation of the National Commission of Nuclear Energy (CNEN);

• 1960 – President Juscelino Kubitschek plans the construction of a Nuclear Power

Plant;

• 1972 – Signed the contract with Westinghouse for the construction of Angra 1;

History of Nuclear Power Generation in Brazil;

• 1975 – Signed Germany-Brazil agreement;

• 1981 – Initiated the Parallel Nuclear Program;

• 1985 – Nuclear Power Plant Angra 1 operations began;

• 1987 – National technology of uranium enrichment was announced;

• 2000 – Nuclear Power Plant Angra 2 operations began;

Angra I and Angra II Brazilian Nuclear Submarine

Future Plans • 2015 – Angra 3;

• 2030 – 4 Nuclear Power Plants.

Construction of Angra 3 Nuclear

Power Plant

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil

• In 1989 CNEN (National Commission of Nuclear Energy ) became

responsible for Nuclear Waste Management;

• In 2001 was established the rules for the siting, licensing,

operation and regulation of radioactive waste facilities;

Legal Responsibilities

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil Waste Classification

Categories Description

I - Exempt Waste Activity levels at or below clearence levels, which are based on an annual dose to

members of the public of less than 0.01 mSv.

II - Low and Intermediate Level Waste

Activity levels above clearence levels and thermal power below about 2 kW/m3.

II.1 - Short Lived Waste Restricted long lived radionuclide concentration (limitation of long lived alpha

emitting radionuclides to 4000 Bq/g in individual waste packages and to an overall

average of 400Bq/g (per waste package).

II.2 - Long Lived Waste

Long lived radionuclide concentrations exceeding limitations for short lived waste.

III-High level Waste Thermal Power about 2kW/m3 and long-lived radionuclide concentrations

exceeding limitations for short-lived waste.

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil

• Two Nuclear Power Plants;

• Two Uranium Mining and Milling Facilities;

• One Fuel Element Assembly Facility;

• Four Research Reactors;

• One Pilot Scale Fuel Cycle Facility, including a plant for the conversion of

uranium to UF6, and another for uranium enrichment;

Nuclear Waste Producers in Brazil

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil

• 3750 Medical, Industrial and Research Facilities;

• One Industrial Facility for Processing Monazite Sands;

• Petroleum Exploitation;

• Mining and Milling Activities with Uranium and Thorium Associated;

Nuclear Waste Producers in Brazil

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil

• Thousands of spent sources were collected and stored at CNENs Institutes

since 1988.

• Mainly Am-241/Ra-226 smoke detectors and lightning rods, Ra-226 tubes and

needles, Co-60 and Cs-137 from industrial applications;

Collecting Radioactive Waste

CNEM Truck

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil

The main aspects of the management program are:

• Registry of the waste and spent sources inventory;

• Waste generation minimization;

• Volume reduction;

• Cementation of sludge arising from the chemical treatment and

immobilization of the non compactable solid waste in cement/bentonite

matrix;

• Quality control of the final product.

Collecting Radioactive Waste - CNEN-NE-6.05-Waste Management

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil Collecting Radioactive Waste

Solid Waste Storage Building Liquid Waste Storage Building

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil Waste Treatment Facilities

Compactation Equipment Cementation Plant

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil

• Brazil doesn’t have a final destination to Nuclear Waste produced by Angra 1

and Angra 2;

• They have a temporary repository;

• One option who is being taken into consideration is a near surface repository;

• Another options like deep repository, caves and boreholes are being studied

as well.

Low/intermediate level radioactive waste disposal

Radioactive Waste Management in Brazil Low/intermediate level radioactive waste disposal

Angra 2 Pool Near Surface Repository

Thank you