On 22 January, Brazil's Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, attended a meeting in Shanghai with representatives of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to broaden the dialogue on technological co-operation in the nuclear field. The meeting focused on strengthening the Brazilian nuclear chain and developing small modular reactors (SMRs).  

During the meeting with CNNC Chief Economist Mingang Huang and company executives, Silveira highlighted that Brazil has the structural conditions to advance in the sector, as it controls the entire nuclear chain, from mineral research and fuel production to power generation and equipment manufacturing.

The minister stressed that SMRs can play a strategic role in national energy planning by offering reliable and predictable generation, as well as complementary applications such as industrial heating, water desalination and support for energy-intensive production chains. 

Silveira also stated that the emergence of solutions such as small modular reactors reinforces the need to modernise the Brazilian nuclear sector, with greater understanding of its productive and industrial uses and greater integration into long-term energy planning.

(Source: Agência iNFRA, on 23 January)