Brazil, Russia begin talks on joint uranium, lithium output — newspaper
BUENOS AIRES, May 13. /TASS/. The Brazilian government and Russia’s Tenex, a subsidiary of Rosatom (formally known as Techsnabexport, Tenex being its export brand), have launched discussions on the joint extraction of uranium and lithium in the South American republic, the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported, citing Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira.
The sides aim first to assess the feasibility of launching joint mining projects, he said, noting that Brasilia expects the partnership with Russia to better "unlock the potential" of the country’s mineral resources.
"So far, these conversations are still in the early phase, but they are already of strategic importance," the minister was quoted as saying by Petronoticias. "This is a key step that will help us ensure medium-term energy reliability," he added.
Brazil’s authorities are also keen to study Russia’s expertise in nuclear waste management, Silveira noted. "The final disposal of waste remains one of the top challenges in the nuclear energy sector worldwide," the minister stressed. "It is worth highlighting that today’s technologies in Russia, like in China, are so advanced that even waste is being reprocessed," he said, emphasizing that learning from this experience "will be pivotal" for advancing Brazil’s nuclear energy program.
Silveira said earlier that the Brazilian government would soon unveil the launch of small modular reactor (low-capacity nuclear power plant) construction in cooperation with Rosatom in the near future.
On May 9, Russian and Brazilian presidents Vladimir Putin and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held talks at the Kremlin. The Brazilian leader emphasized that constructing small nuclear plants with Russia would enhance the country’s energy stability. He also called for expanding cooperation with Moscow in the surveying and extraction of critical minerals.
