The first power unit of the Angra NPP is equipped with a WH 2LP reactor, which was developed by the U.S. company Westinghouse and which uses ordinary water as a coolant and neutron moderator. The reactor had its first physical start-up in March 1982 and entered commercial operation in January 1985, which has gone on for four decades. This longevity is not uncommon: WH 2LP reactors are also installed at two Prairie Island power units, which were launched in the U.S. in 1973–1974, and both units of Switzerland’s Beznau NPP, which began regularly producing electricity in 1969 and 1972, respectively.
The application for life extension was filed in 2019. Over the past five years, Eletronuclear, the operator of the Angra NPP, has installed new steam generators, replaced the reactor vessel head and updated the monitoring systems for equipment wear and tear. The repairs required the NPP to be shut down for periods of time: according to the IAEA, the average utilization rate of the first power unit dropped from 91.5% in 2021 to 86.8% in 2022 to 85.7% in 2023. Eletronuclear also plans to invest BRL 3.2 billion (about $550 million) in further upgrades of the NPP’s key systems by 2027 in order to extend the operating life of the unit by another 20 years.
In addition to the 640 MW power unit, the Angra NPP has a 1.4 GW reactor, which was launched in 2001. Construction of another 1.4 GW unit, which began in 2010 and was suspended in 2015, resumed in 2022, in part due to increased energy demand. According to Ember, Brazil’s total electricity consumption rose by 18% between 2013 and 2023, or by 112 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year in absolute terms, which is comparable to the annual power consumption of Kazakhstan. At the same time, Brazil is the leader among the G20 countries in the use of low-carbon sources, which accounted for 91% of the country’s power output in 2023, including 89% from wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power plants, as well as 2% from nuclear reactors.
Thermal power plants provided a mere 9% of Brazil’s power output last year, down from 20% in 2021. The reduction in the share of TPPs was caused by lower availability of liquefied natural gas (LNG), including due to the U.S. reorienting towards to the European market. According to the Energy Institute, Brazil’s overall LNG imports fell by 87% in 2023 compared to 2021 levels (to 1.3 billion cubic meters in regasified equivalent). Nevertheless, Brazil could increase the aggregate capacity of its LNG regasification terminals by more than 80% via projects already being implemented and planned (from 59 billion cubic meters to 109 billion cubic meters per year, according to Global Energy Monitor).
