Brazil starts talks with IAEA on fuel for nuclear submarine

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil has begun talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to allow it to use nuclear fuel in a submarine for the first time, the head of the UN agency, Rafael Grossi, said Monday.

Brazil plans to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine under a contract with French defense firm Naval Group. It is under construction and has already been christened Alvaro Alberto.

So far, no signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, such as Brazil, has acquired a nuclear submarine, apart from the five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council, which are nuclear-weapon states: the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom.

Nuclear-powered submarines, which can stay underwater and at sea for much longer than others, pose a special proliferation challenge because they operate beyond the reach of IAEA inspectors.

“Another important development relates to Brazil’s formal communication to initiate discussions with the (IAEA) Secretariat on a Special Procedures operation for nuclear material under safeguards in nuclear propulsion and the operation of submarines and prototypes,” Grossi said in a statement.

With information from Reuters