Brazil Flips The Switch On Uranium Enrichment Plant

Brazil has become one of just a handful of states to enrich uranium in a controversial bid to boost nuclear power production and ensure future energy independence.

In an exclusive interview with the Huffington Post, Nuclear Industries of Brazil (INB) spokeswoman Helena Beltrão confirmed that several of the 10 specially designed centrifuges housed at an enrichment plant in Resende, Rio de Janeiro, would be up and running by the end of March.

"Industrial-scale enrichment will start in the first quarter of this year . . . The product will then be used as fuel for the Angra 1 and 2 nuclear power plants," Beltrão said, adding the company planned to produce up to 12 tons of low-enriched uranium by the end of 2009.

A few years ago this statement would have seemed deeply troubling to the international community. In 2004, INB refused to allow inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency unrestricted access to the newly developed Resende facility, causing concern over the nuclear ambitions of South America's emerging energy giant.

Brazil insisted access was only denied to protect commercially sensitive information on the centrifuges' design, uniquely developed at the Navy Technological Center in São Paulo with support from the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute.

Months later, the country signed a safeguards agreement with the IAEA, soothing global concern over its ambitious enrichment plans and paving the way for collaborative nuclear efforts. Since then, Brazil has enjoyed close cooperation with a number of states including the US, and Argentina through the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials' bilateral inspection regime.

Brazil was awarded an environmental license from the Brazilian Environment and Renewable Natural Resource Institute to enrich uranium when the Resende facility officially opened in 1996, but permission to start the enrichment process was only granted by the National Nuclear Energy Commission on January 5 this year.

Later the same month, INB announced enrichment would start in February, with Nuclear Fuel Production Director Samuel Fayad Filho telling Brazil's press, "The great advance is that in [the] future we are not going to depend on foreign services for this important technology."

A western diplomat close to the IAEA told the Huffington Post that fresh Resende inspections were successfully carried out in the first weeks of February this year, leaving no remaining barriers to the enrichment process.

There has been little international response to INB's announcement with most western analysts focussed on the dilemma posed by Iran's nuclear objectives. The US State Department told the Huffington Post last week, "This new development has been declared, it's above board. We wouldn't have any problem with it."

But some analysts and nuclear experts say the development is more controversial than it first appears and that it could have an impact on tricky nuclear negotiations between the US and emerging nuclear powers like Iran.

While few suspect Brazil is after weapons-grade nuclear materials, Jacqueline Shire, a Senior Analyst with the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, points out that the US must not appear to maintain double standards when it comes to backing or rejecting states' attempts to develop enrichment capabilities.

"One thing is that Brazil is not adhering to the (IAEA's) Additional Protocol," she said. "It's important that Brazil should set the standard for transparency."

Brazil is thought to have some of the largest uranium deposits in the world and the state plans to keep the $25 million its costs a year to enrich the ore in Europe in Brazilian hands. If time proves that Brazil's unique centrifuges are as productive in practice as they are on paper, INB could achieve nuclear energy independence by 2020, leaving the state free to enter the exclusive nuclear suppliers group.

Andrew Newman of Harvard University's Project on Managing the Atom says that while the US government probably is not "particularly thrilled" by the development, future Brazilian uranium exports could serve US and international interests.

Newman says Brazil could be "thinking about being a regional fuel supplier"--a move which could create a more or less transparent source of nuclear reactor fuel in Latin America.

Analysts also argue that the establishment of Brazil's enrichment program could discourage more states from following suite by supplying a significant portion of global demand.

For now, Beltrão says INB's focus is on producing enough enriched uranium to power its own nuclear plants and support the government's National Energy Plan. This marks a deliberate move away from the confrontational policies of the past but as Shire warns, "No one cheers when centrifuges are spinning."

Comments

[friedfish2718]

yawn. Who wants to bet that the price of uranium and other radioactive
isotopes will increase in 10 years? I say, the price will decrease.
Some of you are as short-sighted as Paul Ehrlich.

Also, a question: what is causing the Earth's center to be hot?

[research]

I saw it will decrease too,

because nobody is insane enough to build more nuclear power.

The Earths Core is probably a natural reactor.

A very good location for a reactor.

[Kaviraj]

What everyone forgets is that uranium runs out in 40 years - all the world has not enough for more than that. Then what do we have? All those nuclear powerplants waiting to rot away and release their deadly radiation. Within 100 years after they stop, every country that has them will have some nuclear deserts. France will be on big nuclear desert. Clever countries, what?

[piul05]

I believe the estimate is for a little longer than that:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=how-long-will-global-uranium-deposits-last

[research]

No, he optimistic. 25 years of the worlds uranium

It;s already gone up 8 times in the last few years.

All commerical reactors are "once through"

Nule power is insane.
Nukes: We have 85 years of Uranium: that's because only 16% of the worlds electricity comes from nukes. If we increase that to 100% then we have only 13 years of the worlds energy, then Uranium wars begin. We already import most of our uranium.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2006/uranium_resources.html

Meanwhile we get 1 million years of deadly intractable waste.
http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletters/2006/january/article1.html

"The EPA's proposed solution has been to retain the dose limit of 15 mrem/yr for the first 10,000 years and establish a new limit of 350 mrem/yr for the next 990,000 years."
Nukes are not "renewable." There are no Commercial Breeder reactors. Reprocessing technology is the gateway to nuke bombs, for instance India.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_reprocessing

reprocessing the fuel rods is not worth it. Ask the French.
http://www.ieer.org/sdafiles/vol_9/9-2/charpin.html

reprocessing is NOT breeding new fuel, it is just getting the last 5%-25% energy out of the fuel, NOT 20 times more energy reprocessing creates over 100 times as much nuke waste.

MIT "Insurmountable Risks":
http://www.ieer.org/sdafiles/14-2.pdf

[worldtraveller]

Brazil... Axis of Evil now... ROFLMAO!!!

Their military will come marching onto the American streets with their Bassanova and Samba beats.

Be very afraid!

[NCRDIBULL]

GREAT START.. Now if we can get more world wide and offshore drilling and anwar and CLEAN COAL

[bonum]

I love "clean coal", my family and I bathe in it, drink it, and make sure we wash our clothing in it, and especially, breathing in all those fumes, we don't even need to take a daily supplement for any of our daily metals

(loud horse laughter)

who will deliver us from this insane obsession with toxic technologies??

[bonum]

"to boost nuclear power production and ensure future energy independence"

that is such a lie, since when will this give anyone "independence"? ... the amount of money needed to maintain this "uranium enriching" monster, to care for its waste, is outrageous! and not to mention that these reactors do NOT provide all that much energy for the total overall price. .... and this quote about "enrichment", is it for bombs?

I smell more corporate pigs at the trough, again

There are so many "green" alternatives: wind, tidal waves, sun, self-generating electric generators (yes, they do exist)

[CountryBeforeParty]

Im sorry but nuclear, as dangerous as it is, works.

And Brazil is hardly a private corporatized nation. They're largest oil company is state run.

[mikesw]

It looks like SPECTRE's secret hideout in "You Only Live Twice"!

[RaderBarbarian]

The 20th Century was the American Century. The 21st Century is the Brazilian Century. Start learning Portuguese or miss another boat - your choice.

[worldtraveller]

You mean Spanish. No one speaks Portuguese.

[piul05]

LOL!! Você está perfeitamente correto; o Português é um mito urbano.

[RoloTomassi]

Well, except people from BRAZIL!!!

[research]

more nuclear power means

More Mushroom Clouds

From proliferation.

It's the worst energy source imaginable.

[CountryBeforeParty]

I'm sorry but how many mushroom clouds have we had as a result of nuclear energy plants?

Ask the French how many thye've had.

[Babysnake]

Chernobyl, Three mile Island, all kinds of submarines, and leaks in plants all over the world ALL THE TIME!

[research]

Korea, India, Pakistan, Israel, France,

All have exploded nukes, the France in particular, BTW.

It is only a matter of time till they are used in war.

And you want Brazil to have the Bomb?

And what's our greatest Fear?

Iran will get the Bomb.

And still you want nuclear power.

[ZigZagZum]

The article didn't mention that the production or use of weapons of mass destruction are explicit prohibited by Brazil's constitution. I don't think that is the case of Iran.

[Ergon]

Is it prohibited by Israel's constitution?
I forget, Israel doesn't have one.

[mamacat]

And, of course, recent history has taught us that people like Rove/Bush/Cheney always follow the letter and spirit of the Constitution, so no doubt it is in human nature to always do what is legal, moral, and in the best interests of the most people.

[piul05]

No, but Iran has a fatwa prohibiting the production or use of weapons of mass destruction.

[balickistan]

i just look forward to next years carnival. please hire viviane castro.

actually, de silva and his cabinet have actually had the foresight that many others in the world lack. i just hope that america will drop the draconian tariffs on ethanol. bravo brasil.

[Gunga-Din]

Brazil has the leadership of energy program in South America. The very good friendship President Lula and President Hugo Chaves wil create a great energy polo in the region.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Well, if Brazil is willing to recognize Israel.

[zukervati]

Hmmm, isn't that what Iran is saying, that they're enriching Uranium for energy purposes? Why such a ruckus for Iran and not for Brazil?

[piul05]

Iran is a threat to US regional dominance and Israel's expansion plans - hence, the storm in a tea cup, whereas Brazil, since the military coup in 1964 enabled by the US, hasn't been considered much of a threat (or competition). However, both countries have two things in common:
1. An young and unemployed population (with fuel being paramount to develop both countries and get their employment)
2. Difficult to access (in the case of Brazil), or poor quality (heavy) of the oil, which makes other sources of energy more cost-efficient.

But then, there are telling lines such as: "But some analysts and nuclear experts say the development is more controversial than it first appears..." So, we might start hearing about imaginary threats south of the Equator pretty soon.

[Brandon Crisler]

Don't you worry your little head about imaginary threats, we've got 50,000 years of radiation, millions of gallons of wasted water per day, and the continued lopping off of mountaintops and clogging of streams to deal with instead.

[mamacat]

If Iran gets nuclear weapons, the U.S. and Israel may be forced to deal with them equitably and honorably, something anathema to the right-wing of both countries.

[piul05]

"But some analysts and nuclear experts say the development is more controversial than it first appears..."

Typical. Sour grapes much?

[Bowen]

Kudos to Brazil for having the foresight to invest in the development of nuclear power, which should be a component of the energy package of every civilized nation.

In order to maintain postive foreign relations however, Brazil should take steps to ensure they are fully in compliance with all international standards and protocols. This can be easily done.