Brazil is viewing microreactors as a key solution for powering remote and isolated communities where electricity shortages persist, said Isolda Costa, Technical-scientific Director, Brazilian Association of Nuclear Energy, speaking at the Regional to Global international conference in Quito, Ecuador.
“We are implementing a microreactor construction project, led by the State of São Paulo. Seven institutes in the country are already working on this project and have received government funding. Our microreactors have a capacity of approximately 5 megawatts and are designed to power very small and remote communities. They are compact and transportable. Four such microreactors could provide electricity to more than 5,000 districts across Brazil. This is of fundamental importance to us,” she said.
According to Isolda Costa, interest in this technology reflects a trend where nuclear energy reemerges as a focal point of the global energy debate.
“Compared to other forms of generation, nuclear energy has a high energy density. Unlike solar energy, it is not intermittent. Hydropower depends on climate conditions, while gas has moderate emissions. This is the reason why we consider nuclear energy important, and it must make a comeback. It is what we are seeing today around the world. Currently, approximately 440 nuclear reactors are in operation, with another 55 under construction in China, India, and Russia. In France, the share of nuclear energy is approximately 70% – the highest in the world. Around 10% of all global electric power is generated by nuclear power plants,” the expert noted.
Isolda Costa brought up the fact that Brazil’s energy mix today is largely dominated by renewable sources.
“About 88% of Brazil’s electric power is generated by renewable sources, primarily hydroelectric power plants, followed by wind, solar energy, and biomass. Non-renewable sources – natural gas, oil, and petroleum products – account for 12%. They are used as a strategic reserve for isolated systems and during periods of peak demand. Nuclear energy’s share is still very small – one or two percent of total capacity. Coal also retains a small share. Although hydropower is gradually losing its share due to accelerated growth of solar and wind generation, water remains the backbone of our energy system. The sun and wind already provide almost 25% of all energy consumed in the country,” explained Isolda Costa.
The head of IPEN emphasized that, at the same time, the achieved overall progress in developing clean energy has not wiped out the region’s structural vulnerability. Even with power generation on the rise, a significant portion of the Latin American population is still in need of access to electric power.
“Over the past decade, we have increased our clean energy supply by more than 50%. This means that the energy transition is already underway. However, there are approximately 16 million people in the region who are still in need of reliable access to electric power. These people live primarily in remote border, island, or rural areas. Lack of access to electricity weakens economic stability and social cohesion. For us, the energy transition is a matter of national security. Therefore, we all need to think together about decentralized solutions, renewable sources, storage systems, and grids,” noted Isolda Costa.
According to her, the key question for the region today is whether Latin America is able to build a diversified energy mix that combines renewable sources, hydropower, and advanced nuclear technologies, reducing external dependence.
