Brazil is planning to build five more nuclear reactors to add to the two already operating at its sole nuclear plant at Angra dos Reis, energy minister Edison Lobao told the state news agency on 15 September.

“Despite the recent incidents in Japan, Brazil is sticking to its policy of expanding its nuclear programme,” said Lobao.

Construction of a third reactor is already underway at Angra and is due to complete in 2015. The new reactor would add 1.3 GW to the 2 GW plant’s capacity.

Lobao gave no timeframe for the additional four units but said they would be built in new plants elsewhere in Brazil. Under earlier energy policy four reactors would be online by 2025.

Brazil currently relies overwhelmingly on hydropower and derives only 3 per cent of its electricity from the Angra plant. Yet economic expansion is now outstripping supply, triggering blackouts.

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