Wedoany.com Report-Feb 28, Construction has begun on the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB – Reator Multipropósito Brasileiro) in Ipero, located in Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, following extensive planning. This 30 MWt open-pool research reactor mirrors Argentina’s RA-10, currently under construction and slated for operation within the next one to two years. In 2013, Invap, an Argentine company, agreed to construct both reactors, basing their design on the Open Pool Australian Light-water (Opal) reactor, previously delivered to the Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation.

Artist’s impression of the reactor site

Situated next to the Aramar Experimental Centre—home to Brazil’s nuclear submarine prototype—the RMB will form a key part of the country’s largest nuclear technology hub. The facility will house laboratories dedicated to nuclear fusion, particle accelerators, high-power lasers, and the development and production of radiopharmaceuticals. Estimated at $500 million, the project is projected to take five years to complete.

The groundbreaking ceremony saw attendance from notable figures, including Science, Technology & Innovation Minister Luciana Barbosa de Oliveira Santos, National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) President Francisco Rondinelli Junior, RMB Management Coordinator Gabriela Borsatto, and technical coordinators Jose Augusto Perrotta and Patricia Pagetti. Minister Santos emphasized the reactor’s role in advancing nuclear sector infrastructure. “We will have one of the most important Brazilian research centres for applications of nuclear technology for the benefit of society, and this is a source of pride for all of us,” she stated. CNEN President Rondinelli Junior highlighted its potential impact, saying, “This will transform nuclear medicine in Brazil and in the world, given its production and development capacity, directly benefiting society.”

The RMB aims to bolster Brazil’s research and innovation capabilities while enhancing national nuclear infrastructure. Its applications span health, industry, agriculture, and environmental studies. The reactor will secure Brazil’s independence in producing molybdenum-99, vital for medical diagnostics, alongside other radioisotopes. It will also facilitate the development and testing of nuclear fuels and materials for propulsion systems, power plants, and emerging technologies like small modular reactors. In scientific research, neutron beams from the RMB will support advanced neutron activation analysis, material development, nanotechnology, and structural biology studies.

Funding for the project reflects its national priority status, with inclusion in the Growth Acceleration Programme (New CAP). The Science Ministry plans to allocate BRL 926 million ($160 million) by 2026, sourced from the National Fund for Scientific & Technological Development (FNDCT). Coordinated by CNEN under the Science Ministry, the project receives support from the Financier of Studies & Projects (FINEP) and involves collaboration with national and international partners, including the PATRIA Foundation, Amazul, Invap, Intertechne, Walm, Tractebel, and Schunck.

Led by the Institute for Energy & Nuclear Research (IPEN) in Sao Paulo, the RMB’s development also draws expertise from other CNEN units, such as the Institute of Nuclear Engineering and the Institute of Radioprotection & Dosimetry in Rio de Janeiro, the Centre for Nuclear Technology Development in Belo Horizonte, and the Regional Centre for Nuclear Sciences of the Northeast in Recife.