Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (INB) is successfully expanding its nuclear services business and specialized technical services for nuclear reactors in the United States. This campaign involved 18 Brazilian professionals, a significant increase over the 14 employees mobilized in previous campaigns.
The team’s expansion reflects sustained growth since 2019, when INB began its foray into the U.S. market with just eight technicians. Since then, the company has participated in nine international campaigns and executed 22 scheduled technical shutdowns at various plants across the country.
What exactly was done?
Activities were concentrated in 4 locations, Madison and Shippingport (Pennsylvania), Prairie Island (Minnesota) and Wadsworth (Texas), including complex tasks such as:
- Reactor start-up and shutdown.
- Refueling: Removing spent nuclear fuel from the spent nuclear fuel and and load new fuel.
- Preparation of fuel elements.
- Replacement of components in the pools where used fuel is stored.
Technical talent and accumulated experience
According to Paulo Azevedo, supervisor of Fuel and Services Project Engineering, the experience they have gained operating and maintaining the Brazilian Angra 1 and Angra 2 nuclear power plants is directly applicable, as the U.S. reactors reactors have similar designs. Sending teams with various specialties (manufacturing, safety, quality, etc.) guarantees a comprehensive and high quality service.
Azevedo also stresses that this type of campaign generates income for INB, at the same time that Brazilian technicians are trained with state-of-the-art technology and international standards, which improves their skills, which they can then apply in Brazil.
Projections and new international alliances
The company is currently in negotiations to sign a multi-year contract with U.S. companies, and is evaluating collaboration opportunities with partners in France and South Korea. These potential alliances will allow the company to expand its portfolio of services to areas such as technical inspection in non-destructive testing.
Source: INB
