5.11.2006
Brazil Officially Starts First Uranium Enrichment Facility (ENS-newswire.com)
RIO DE JANIERO, Brazil, May 8, 2006 (ENS)--Brazil has inaugurated its first uranium enrichment facility to produce the tyoe of fuel for nuclear power plants that Iran is running into trouble for attempting to produce. There are strong suspocions that the objective of the Iranian nuclear program is to eventually build a bomb, but Brazil has managed to assure the international community its intentions are industrial and commercial, not military.
At the inauguration ceremony Brazilian Science and Technology Minister Sergio Rezende told the assembled officials and media of Brazil's commitment to the peacful use of nuclear power.
The Brazilian Constitution bans the military use of nuclear energy and the country has signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. No objections to Brazil's uranium enrichment progam have been heard from the United States.
In April 2004 the Brazilian government denied access for teh IAEA inspectors to the Resende facility and refused to let IAEA inspectors see equipment in the plant.l Citing a need to protect proprietary information the government had built walls around parts of he facility and draped covers over equipment.
By November 2004, the IAEA was able to reach an agreement in principle with the Brazilian government on a safeguards approach to verify the enrichment facilities in Brazil at the Resende facility: This approach enables the IAEA to do credible inspections but at the same time addresses Brazil's need to shield properitary designs inside the facility.
Built at a cost of US$172 million, the plant will be capable of enriching uranium to less than five percent uranium-235, an isotope needed to fuel nuclea reactors. In order to amke a bomb, natural uranium must be enriched to 95 percent uranium-235.
Brazil Officially Starts First Uranium Enrichment Facility ¶ 18:38
At the inauguration ceremony Brazilian Science and Technology Minister Sergio Rezende told the assembled officials and media of Brazil's commitment to the peacful use of nuclear power.
The Brazilian Constitution bans the military use of nuclear energy and the country has signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. No objections to Brazil's uranium enrichment progam have been heard from the United States.
In April 2004 the Brazilian government denied access for teh IAEA inspectors to the Resende facility and refused to let IAEA inspectors see equipment in the plant.l Citing a need to protect proprietary information the government had built walls around parts of he facility and draped covers over equipment.
By November 2004, the IAEA was able to reach an agreement in principle with the Brazilian government on a safeguards approach to verify the enrichment facilities in Brazil at the Resende facility: This approach enables the IAEA to do credible inspections but at the same time addresses Brazil's need to shield properitary designs inside the facility.
Built at a cost of US$172 million, the plant will be capable of enriching uranium to less than five percent uranium-235, an isotope needed to fuel nuclea reactors. In order to amke a bomb, natural uranium must be enriched to 95 percent uranium-235.
Brazil Officially Starts First Uranium Enrichment Facility ¶ 18:38
