The government goes, the scandal comes, the government returns, and the Angra 3 nuclear plant, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, has been under construction for nearly 40 years. It was opened in the 1980s, and only 65% of its work has been completed so far.
The problem is that, as the popular saying goes: “If you run, she will catch you; If it remains, the animal will eat it. There is no easy or cheap way out. To complete the project, it is expected to spend about an additional R$20 billion. But in the event of a withdrawal, the loss amounts to about R$26.5 billion, according to the Brazilian Association for the Development of Nuclear Activities (ABDAN).
The abandonment amount takes into account expenses related to terminating contracts and dismantling what has already been built, annual revenue loss and carbon footprint revenue, in addition to the amounts already applied. The legal risks of breaching contracts are incalculable – of course, potential deviations from corruption as suspected in the past are immeasurable, but would increase expenses significantly.
Angra 3 is the third plant of the Almirante Álvaro Alberto Central Nuclear Power Plant (CNAAA) and is called the twin of Angra 2 because they have the same German technology. The complex housing them is located in Angra dos Reis and is named in honor of the soldier and scientist who was one of the main organizers of the Brazilian nuclear program.
The complex also contains Angra 1. At the moment, only 1 and 2 are open. They are all operated by Eletronuclear, a subsidiary of ENBPar, a state-owned enterprise created to manage Itaipu and Eletronuclear after the privatization of Eletrobras.
Angra 2 is the largest in the country and operates with a capacity of 1,350 MW. Angra 3’s capacity will reach 1,405 megawatts, which is enough to serve 4.5 million people, which is equivalent to 60% of Rio State’s consumption and 3% of Brazil’s consumption.
During these four decades of development, the Angra 3 TV series has already gone through several chapters, such as bidding and budget constraints. The big turnaround came in 2015, when the project underwent Operation Lava Jato investigations.
The works were suspended and resumed in 2022 with the Agis consortium, formed by Ferreira Guedes, Matricial and ADtranz, as part of the unit’s critical line acceleration plan. In the first half of 2024, another tender will be issued to appoint the company or consortium that will complete the civil works and electromechanical assembly of the station.
Celso Cunha, President of Abadan, explains that work has not completely stopped: “There are companies that continue to provide technology, software, equipment and contracts that are put out for tender. This comes from previous investments that are already there.
Regarding the works on the so-called critical line (carried out by the consortium), on December 12, the Technical District of the Federal Court of Audit (TCU) found that they were proceeding at a “very low pace”, with possible impacts on the construction schedule and completion of the project.
According to Cunha, today it will not be possible to deactivate Angra 3: “This will have a significant impact on the actions of ENBPar. Deactivating Angra 3 costs more than completing (the work) because you will have to pay all contracts and suppliers, deactivate and shut down. When all are collected “All together, it’s more expensive than completing it.”
Eletronuclear forecasts indicate that Angra 3 will become operational at the end of 2028, but, says Cunha, based on his experience, he believes this should only happen around 2030.
According to the Eltronoclear website, at peak work, 7,000 direct job opportunities will be created, in addition to a much larger number of indirect job opportunities. There are currently about 1,000 workers at the construction site.
Meanwhile, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) is carrying out technical, financial and legal structuring and modeling work for the Angra 3 Nuclear Power Plant Recommissioning Project with consultants appointed by the Bank and Eletronuclear.
According to BNDES, the project schedule is being reviewed and will undergo validation in the project management bodies, including alignment with Eletronuclear’s new direction.
