Russia brings decades of operational experience with nuclear-powered icebreakers and floating nuclear power units to the partnership. Rostechnadzor oversees supervision of these installations, offering regulatory experience with construction, operation and emergency response for mobile nuclear systems. A Brazilian engineer from the naval secretariat participated in an international course on small modular reactors at Atomflot in Murmansk between August 24 and 28, organized by the IAEA and Rosatom Technical Academy.
The naval secretariat defines a nuclear-powered naval platform as any surface vessel, submarine, platform or craft using a reactor for self-propulsion or third-party power supply. This definition extends regulatory scope beyond the PROSUB submarine program to potential commercial applications including floating power generation and merchant vessels with compact reactors. Brazilian authorities justify the strategic interest by citing that approximately 90 percent of Brazil’s trade moves by sea, requiring advance preparation of port entry criteria, licensing frameworks and incident response protocols before commercial nuclear vessels operate in Brazilian waters.
The cooperation unfolds while Brazil develops its first nuclear-powered submarine, the Álvaro Alberto, under the PROSUB program at Itaguaí Naval Complex. The 2027 budget proposal allocates 388.7 million reais directly to the submarine, significantly below the one billion reais the Navy requested to maintain construction cadence. The official target sets accumulated completion at 29 percent by end-2027. Budget shortfalls risk extending the timeline and multiplying fixed costs across additional years, as shipyard infrastructure, qualified labor and contracted suppliers require payment regardless of construction pace.
Brazil participates in International Maritime Organization working groups updating the Safety Code for Nuclear Ships and joined the IAEA’s ATLAS project in late August, which addresses legal and regulatory frameworks for maritime nuclear applications including small reactors for propulsion and electricity generation on floating platforms. The naval secretariat also engages with Brazil’s OAB legal association nuclear law commission on licensing, civil liability and environmental protection issues as technological development outpaces regulatory infrastructure.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
