Brazil kicks off talks with IAEA on fuel for planned nuclear submarine

Brazil has entered into negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over safeguards to allow it to use nuclear fuel in a submarine for the first time, the U.N. watchdog’s chief, Rafael Grossi, has confirmed.

The South American country follows Australia in negotiating with the IAEA over safeguards provisions for submarines. So far no party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has a nuclear submarine, other than the five permanent (P5) members of the U.N. Security Council, also known as nuclear-weapon states: the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.

The fact that nuclear submarines remain at sea far longer than other submarines means they pose a significant proliferation challenge as they operate beyond the reach of IAEA inspectors.

“Another important development is that related to Brazil’s formal communication to initiate discussions with the (IAEA)Secretariat on an arrangement for Special Procedures for the use of nuclear material under safeguards in nuclear propulsion and in the operation of submarines and prototypes,” Grossi said in a statement to a quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.