Brazilian nuclear heavy engineering company Nuclebrás Equipamentos Pesados ?? (Nuclep) has begun to deliver a full-scale prototype containment structure on land on the first indigenously designed nuclear-powered submarine (SN-BR).
According to the order of Amazônia Azul Tecnologias de Defesa SA (Amazul), these parts will be received at the Naval Nuclear Industry Center in Sao Paulo. The company hired Nuclep to complete the manufacture, assembly and supply of the new generation of containment vessels (Labgene), including its Internal structure, such as the primary shielding tank of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV).
The cargo consists of two ferrules-a metal ring or a ring surrounding an object or mechanism-from the lower and bottom frame of the RPV main shielding tank. Nuclep has delivered two accumulator vessels (VP3 and VP4), two heat exchangers (TC1 and TC2) and the first one (VP5 of two vessels, corresponding to Flood Tanks (VP5 and VP6) to Labgene.
Nuclep stated that it was selected to produce sealed containers due to its qualified labor, certification and manufacturing structure, which is an important part of the Labgene project and corresponds to the structure that the nuclear power plant will install, test and approve.
Labgene is located at the Naval Technology Center (CTMSP) in Ipero, São Paulo. Fuels and systems developed for naval applications. it
Responsible for testing the Navy’s nuclear propulsion prototype reactor, which is part of the Brazilian Submarine Development Program (PROSUB). The assembly of the reactor will begin in October 2020. The reactor, along with turbine generators, electric motors and other systems similar to nuclear-powered submarines, will be tested in a controlled manner at Labgene. The purpose is to verify the operation of the reactor and the various electromechanical systems integrated with it before it is installed on the submarine.
After the test is complete, a similar reactor will be installed on the Alvaro Alberto submarine, which is being developed at the Itaguaí Naval Base in Rio de Janeiro. On November 25, the Brazilian Navy signed an agreement to begin construction of the hull for Álvaro Alberto as part of the SN-BR project. According to the official press release, the "Part One Construction License (LPC1)" was signed by the Brazilian Naval Nuclear and Technical Development Directorate, the Naval Nuclear Safety and Quality Administration, and Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen. The (estimated) length of the future SN-10 Álvaro Alberto is 100 meters, can carry 100 crew members, and is equipped with sails similar to the Scorpene class. In 2019, Rolls-Royce won a multi-million-euro contract to provide Labgene with a safety instrumented and control (I&C) system.
The history of nuclear energy development in Brazil
Brazil has a long history of nuclear development. In 1955, it signed the Peace Atomic Energy Program initiated by the United States, which provided fuel for two research reactors provided by the United States, but restricted the use of reactor research results. In response, Brazil established the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) in 1962 to lead its nuclear program and built the first indigenous research reactor in 1965. In the late 1970s, in the face of international restrictions on its nuclear development, Brazil launched a parallel nuclear program funded by the military, the National Security Council (CSN) and CNEN.
These two projects developed side by side in the 1980s and withstood various changes and reorganizations of the government. In 1988, the official plan was reorganized to transfer sensitive technology and facilities acquired from Germany to CNEN. Also in 1988, the Brazilian Congress approved a new constitution restricting nuclear activities for peaceful purposes and requiring Congress’s approval. The disclosure of the parallel program and its secret funding led Congress to finally expose the nuclear program to the public for review. In the late 1980s, with the deepening of democratization in 1985, transparency increased. In 1990, the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee (CPI) found that the Navy was not involved in weapons development, and the parallel program was not terminated, but reoriented. Today, all naval nuclear facilities are subject to IAEA safeguards and regular inspections, making Brazil the only country in the world that has opened military facilities to international monitoring.
Nuclep was founded in 1975 to design and manufacture heavy-duty components for nuclear power plants. This was a strategic decision, because no company in Brazil was able to operate in this advanced industrial field at the time. In 1988, after Siemens sold its controlling stake in CNEN, Nuclep became a subsidiary of CNEN. Nuclep is located in Itaguaí, southeast of Rio de Janeiro, and has its own marine terminal and ro-ro facilities.