The Brazilian government published this Friday a Provisional Measure that allows the participation of the private sector in the exploration of nuclear ores in the country through a partnership with a Brazilian state-owned company, with the objective of reducing costs.
Currently, the activities of research, mining, enrichment, industrialization and trade of ores nuclear and derivatives are exercised exclusively by Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil S.A.
The new legislation allows new models of association to be made between INB and private partners for the exploration of mineral deposits that have nuclear ores.
“Despite being rich in nuclear ores, Brazil currently imports most of the inputs needed to manufacture nuclear fuel to supply the Angra I and II plants. This results in higher costs for producing the fuel and the loss of business opportunities, both in Brazil and abroad,” the Ministry of Mines and Energy said in a statement.
In this sense, with the update of the legislation, it is expected that the INB, in partnership with the private sector, will increase investments in research and mining and the national production capacity of uranium, added the ministry.
The Provisional Measure also updates the legal framework of the nuclear ores exploration sector, which dates from the 1960s and 1970s.
“This change seeks to insert Brazil into the international best-practice scenario, modernizing research and mining activities for these ores.”
The MP also authorizes the Empresa Brasileira de Participações em Energia Nuclear e Binacional S.A. become controller of INB.
ENBpar was created after the privatization of Eletrobras, taking over activities that cannot be privatized, with those linked to the nuclear sector.
Sources: investing.com
