The company said the contract supports Eletronuclear’s long-term operations programme designed to enable continued operations at Angra-1 until the end of 2044. The current operating licence is valid through December 2024.
The LTO programme at Angra-1 includes engineering assessments, system testing and plant system upgrades, to be implemented in several stages by 2030.
The contract follows a letter of intent signed between Westinghouse and Eletronuclear in February to help extend the life of the plant.
Angra-1 is a 609-MW pressurised water reactor that began commercial operation in 1985. Brazil’s two commercial nuclear reactors, Angra-1 and Angra-2, provided about 2.7% of the country’s electricity generation, according to International Atomic Energy Agency statistics.
Construction of a third plant, Angra-3, began in 1984 but was halted in 1986 because of a lack of financing. In 2010, a construction permit was reissued by the authorities, but the project was suspended again in 2015 because of financing concerns and corruption investigation proceedings.
According to Eletronuclear, almost 47% of civil work at the site had been completed in 2014. So far, 9 billion reals ($1.6bn) has been spent on the project, Reuters reported recently.
