| NEWS


Work begins on Multipurpose Reactor


After years of planning, infrastructure work has started on the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB – Reator Multipropósito Brasileiro) project in Ipero (Sorocaba, Sao Paulo). The RMB will be a 30 MWt open-pool


research reactor, similar to Argentina’s RA- 10 multipurpose reactor currently under construction. Private technology company INVAP (INVestigación APlicada – applied research) signed the agreement in 2013 to build the two research reactors – one in each country. The reference design was the Open Pool Australian Light-water (Opal) research reactor that Invap supplied to the Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation. The RMB will be part of largest nuclear


technology centre in Brazil. It will be built adjacent to the Aramar Experimental Centre, where the prototype of the Brazilian nuclear submarine is already installed. In addition to the reactor and all the infrastructure, there will be laboratories for the study of nuclear fusion, particle accelerators, high-power lasers and laboratories for the development and production of radiopharmaceuticals. The cost has been estimated at $500m with a construction timeline of around five years. Commenting on the project Minister of


Science, Technology & Innovation Luciana Barbosa de Oliveira Santos said the RMB will ensure essential infrastructure for the development of the nuclear sector. “We will have one of the most important Brazilian research centres for applications of nuclear technology for the benefit of society’. RMB applications cover several areas, including health, industry, agriculture and the


Belgium Reactor life extension confirmed Belgium and French power utility Engie have formalised the 10-year extension of unit 4 at the Doel NPP and unit 3 at the Tihange NPP. The finalised agreement allows Engie to alleviate historical financial constraints while stabilising Belgium’s energy outlook for the next decade. This follows approval from the European


Commission in February, consolidating a preliminary agreement between Engie and Belgium signed in January 2023. The two parties in July 2022 had signed a “non-binding letter of intent” concerning the life extension of the two reactors that have been in service since 1985. Belgium had seven nuclear power reactors


– three at Tihange near Liege and four at Doel near Antwerp. All seven are pressurised water reactors operated by Electrabel, part of Engie. Apart from Doel 1&2, which are 430 MWe plants, the others are around 1 GWe each.


environment. It will ensure the Brazil’s self- sufficiency in the production of molybdenum-99 used in medical diagnostics and enable the production of other radioisotopes. It will support the development of nuclear fuels and materials used in reactors, allowing the qualification of fuels for nuclear propulsion, reactors, NPPs and new technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMRs). In the field of scientific research, RMB will enable the use of neutron beams for various applications, such as advanced neutron activation analysis, development of new materials and studies in nanotechnology and structural biology. For the first time, science and technology


projects were included in the Growth Acceleration Programme (New CAP), indicating the strategic importance of the RMB. The Science Ministry is expected to invest BRL926m ($160m) in the project by 2026, with resources from the National Fund for Scientific & Technological Development (FNDCT – Fundo Nacional do Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico).


The RMB is a Science Ministry project


coordinated by CNEN, with funding from the Financier of Studies & Projects (FINEP - Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos). National and international collaborating institutions include the PATRIA Foundation, Amazul (Brazilian Navy), Invap (Argentina), Intertechne (Brazil), Walm, Tractebel and, more recently, Schunck (Brazil). RMB’s development was led by the Institute


for Energy & Nuclear Research (IPEN – Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares) and supported by other CNEN units. ■


Nuclear was a contentious issue in Belgium.


After more than 20 years of debate, Belgium decided to phase out nuclear power. However, following the conflict in Ukraine and resulting energy shortages a decision to extend the lives of Tihange 3 and Doel 4 until 2035 was made. Belgium’s electricity network operator had warned of significant energy shortages in the winter of 2026-2027 without a nuclear extension. In July 2022, Electrabel said Tihange 2 and


Doel 3 could not be extended for technical and safety reasons. Doel 3 was closed in October 2022, Tihange 2 in February 2023 and Doel 1 in February 2025. Tihange 1 is set to shut in October this year followed by Doel 2 in December.


Doel 4 and Tihange 3 will now be operated by a joint venture equally owned by Engie and the Belgian government. This is based on a Contract for Difference mechanism aimed at evenly distributing financial risks associated


round up


UPGRADES UNIT 4 OF the Dukovany NPP in the Czech Republic has resumed operation following a scheduled outage for refuelling and upgrading. The power output of the VVER-440 reactor has now been increased to 512 MWe. Four VVER-440 units are currently in operation at the Dukovany site, which began operating between 1985 and 1987. They are scheduled for decommissioning no later than 2045-2047.


DIGITAL & SOFTWARE UK BASED LLOYD’S Register (LR) is to use generative AI for permitting capabilities to bridge the gap between terrestrial and maritime nuclear applications. The capabilities, built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, are designed to enhance the regulatory process for nuclear technology and will be used by LR to advance the deployment of nuclear in maritime applications.


POLICY KAZAKHSTAN PRESIDENT KASSYM- Jomart Tokayev has ordered the establishment of a Nuclear Energy Agency under the President. “We must understand that the global transition to a new technological order based on digitalisation and artificial intelligence is an energy- intensive process,” he told a meeting of the National Kurultai. “In such a reality, the energy deficit in the region and the world will steadily grow. Therefore, Kazakhstan must not only achieve full self-sufficiency in electricity, but also become a major exporter in the global energy market.”


CONTRACTS KOREA HYDRO & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has established a strategic partnership with South Korean construction company Samsung C&T for the joint development of overseas NPP projects. Under the agreement signed by KHNP President Hwang Joo-ho and Samsung C&T President Oh Se-cheol the collaboration will be extensive. It will include joint proposals for new nuclear power projects using business-to-business (B2B) cooperation.


WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with six Canadian suppliers in Saskatchewan to support nuclear new build projects in Canada and worldwide. The MOUs establish the potential for manufacturing key reactor components, including electrical equipment by Team Power Solutions and steel structures by Industrial Machine & Mfg, JNE Welding, Northern Strands Group of Companies, STC Industrial Group and Venables Machine Works.


www.neimagazine.com | April 2025 | 7


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