Brazil’s Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque said he believes there should be no restrictions in the work of private companies in the exploration of nuclear energy in Brazil. During a breakfast with journalists today (Jan. 23), the minister argued for the resumption of the construction of the Angra 3 plant, and said the government is seeking a new private partner for the enterprise, as part of the Partnership for Investment Program (PPI in the original acronym).

A nuclear energy expert, Bento Albuquerque once served as director-general with the Navy’s Nuclear and Technological Development. Since he took office as minister, the ministry has argued that the debate on Brazil’s nuclear grid should be “free from prejudice.”

The minister further advocated nuclear energy as a crucial part of Brazil’s energy grid. “Only three countries in the world have large-scale uranium reserves and dominate nuclear technology—Brazil, the US, and Russia. I don’t understand how a country like ours, with such enormous dimensions when it comes to its population, could forgo a grid like that,” he remarked.

“I regard having industries not controlled by the government exploring nuclear energy in the country to be a natural process in all segments,” Albuquerque declared.

As it stands today, the Brazilian Constitution stipulates that the exploration, industrialization, and the trade of, and the enrichment from, nuclear minerals are under the monopoly of the state. The first piece of legislation setting the federal government’s monopoly o nuclear minerals and nuclear energy was introduced in the 1950’s.

“Right now, [private companies] are not allowed [to work in the nuclear area], because of our Constitution. But I believe this will be reconsidered in the future,” the minister said, stressing it is his personal opinion.

Private companies, he said, could participate in small enterprises and also in the construction of small reactors for water desalinization. “These are all applications made possible by nuclear energy,” he pointed out.