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Industrias Nucleares do Brasil has started mining uranium from the new open-pit Engenho mine at Caetité, in Brazil's Bahia state. It is hoped that resumption of uranium production at the site will make the country self-sufficient in fuel for its nuclear power reactors. A ceremony was held yesterday at the mine site, during which a detonation was carried out, symbolising the beginning of open pit mining in a new area, the Engenho mine.

The world needs countries, such as Brazil, to step up and lead the way by expanding their nuclear capacity to help contribute to a sustainable energy future, said Agneta Rising, former director general of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear Association. She was speaking ahead of the ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear University Short Course ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear Industry Today to be held online in Brazil next week.

Driving investment towards nuclear energy projects depends strongly on the perception and evaluation of the costs associated with them, Leonam dos Santos Guimarães, CEO of Eletronuclear, told participants in ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear Association's Strategic eForum last week. Brazil has two nuclear reactors generating about 3% of its electricity, but construction of a third is currently stalled.

Brazil's Investment Partnership Programme council has approved a plan to complete unit 3 of the Angra nuclear power plant. Created by the government to expand and strengthen the relationship between the state and the private sector, the PPI's main objective is to generate jobs and growth for the country through new investments in infrastructure projects and privatisation.

Holtec International delivered the first five of 15 modules for an on-site used fuel dry storage facility to Brazil's Angra nuclear power plant last week. The new storage facility, set to be commissioned at the end of this year, will create space in the almost full storage pools of units 1 and 2, allowing their continued operation.

Brazil and the USA have signed agreements on extending the operation and generating capacity of Angra unit 1 and on cooperation in new nuclear technologies. The agreements, between Westinghouse and Eletronuclear, and between the US Nuclear ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Institute and the Brazilian Association for the Development of Nuclear Activities, were signed yesterday at the Brazil-US ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Forum in Rio de Janeiro in the presence of Brazilian ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Minister Bento Albuquerque and US ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Secretary Dan Brouillette.

Countries embarking on nuclear energy programmes for the first time or expanding their programmes after a long period without construction face integrated challenges, representatives from emerging and expanding nuclear countries have said. These challenges include the development of human resources as well as financial and political considerations.

Kazakhstan's JSC National Atomic Company Kazatomprom announced today it had signed a commercial agreement to supply natural uranium to Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (INB). Kazatomprom said it had won INB's tender to supply natural uranium hexafluoride for the needs of the Brazilian nuclear power industry.

Brazil's national energy plan to 2050 will consider new nuclear power plants including generation IV technology and small modular reactors to meet growing national electricity demand, Minister for Mines and ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Bento Albuquerque said yesterday.

Ongoing excellent nuclear performance throughout long operating lives is contributing to meeting global energy and climate goals, ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear Association Director General Agneta Rising told the ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear Spotlight Brazil conference in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. During the event, Brazilian Minister of Mines and ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Bento Albuquerque said the country was committed to resuming the Angra 3 project.

Brazil's uranium enrichment capacity has increased by 25% following the inauguration of the seventh cascade of centrifuges at the Resende enrichment plant, Industrias Nucleares do Brasil has announced.

French utility EDF has signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazilian companies Eletrobras and Eletronuclear to promote cooperation in nuclear energy. This could include participation in the completion of Angra 3 and possible follow-up projects.