On the Uranium Enrichment Program in Brazil

On May 5, 2006, Brazil officially inaugurated a plant that will produce enriched uranium to supply the country's two nuclear power reactors. Brazilian officials have claimed that providing domestic enrichment services will account for savings to the national nuclear industry. This work is a preliminary evaluation of the economic relevance of the Brazilian enrichment program, taking into account cost of production and the market price for uranium enrichment.

Belkis Cabrera-Palmer is a science fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University. She received her Ph.D. in Physics form Syracuse University in May 2005. Her research interest comprises the study of energy resources in Latin America, and this year she has focused on the role of nuclear power in electricity generation in Brazil. Her current research project is entitled "On the Uranium Enrichment Program in Brazil", and aims to evaluate the economic relevance a national enrichment program has in Brazil's nuclear industry.