Eletronuclear launches tender for civil work at Angra 3

The contract is expected to be signed by May, Eletronuclear said, while hiring of a contractor to continue work at the site is planned for the second half of 2022, with the plant scheduled to start operations in November 2026.

Eletronuclear President Leonam dos Santos Guimarães said resumption of work at Angra 3 is "finally becoming a reality", adding, "We have worked hard to get here and we shall move forward, with even more determination, to complete the construction of the plant."

Angra 3 is important for the diversification and security of Brazil's electricity supply, he said, as power generated by the unit will replace "more expensive" fossil fuel-fired electricity production. Completion of the reactor unit will also be "a step towards" the decarbonisation of energy generation in the country, he added.

The project will create about 7000 direct jobs at the peak of construction work, in addition to "a much larger number" of indirect jobs, he said. The vast majority of these will be sourced in Costa Verde, which will be an important factor in developing that region's economy, he added.

First concrete was poured for Angra 3 - a 1405 MWe (gross) pressurised water reactor - in 2010, resuming a project that had first begun in the 1980s before a lengthy suspension. The project was again suspended in mid-2015. Two nuclear power units - Angra 1 and 2 - supply about 3% of Brazil's electricity.

The tender notice is here.