LATIN-AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL BRIEFS

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources

Power

Brazil Needs Around 8 Nuclear Plants to Satisfy Energy Demands

The Development and Planning Secretary of the Mining and Energy Ministry of Brazil (MME), Márcio Zimmermann, pointed out that his country needs to build between 6 and 8 nuclear plants by 2030, in order to satisfy demand for electricity.

According to Sergio Rezende, Brazil’s Minister of Science and Technology, President Lula Da Silva is to announce the restart of Angra III construction which will be almost a replica of the already existing Angra II and have a generating capacity of 1,350 MW.

Industrial Manufacturing

Toyota to Launch Cars That Run on Ethanol in Brazil

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) (Tokyo, Japan) may introduce cars that run on ethanol and gasoline in Brazil. According to a Japanese newspaper, the world’s second largest automaker is about to make public Corolla subcompacts that run on ethanol, gasoline or a mixture of the two fuels. The Japanese firm also has plans to turn the models manufactured in Brazil into flex-fuel cars.

Most drivers in Brazil choose ethanol, made from corn, sugar cane or other crops, and which is about half the price of gasoline in Brazil.

Alternative Fuels

World Biofuels Forum to Take Place in Rosario, Argentina

On July 11-13, the Argentine city of Rosario will host the World Biofuels Forum, announced Argentina's Santa Fe province production minister Roberto Cerretto. The forum will attract approximately 1,000 professionals, technicians and experts from the Biofuels sector.

Oil & Gas

Petrobras to Build the Last Stretch of the Urucu-Manaus Pipeline

Brazil's state-owned oil company, Petrobras (NYSE:PBR), started this week to lay two stretches of a gas pipeline under a large tributary of the Amazon. The pipeline will transport 4.7 million cubic meters of gas per day, mainly for Manaus thermoelectric plants, substituting the usage of more polluting combustion oil.

Petrobras expects the $1.230 million underwater pipeline laying at the Rio Negro to be completed in July. The company expects the entire Urucu-Manaus pipeline to be ready in April 2008.

Metals and Minerals

Peru: Uranium Rich Country

Peru, the world’s second-largest producer of silver and the sixth-largest producer of gold and copper, is also a uranium rich Latin American country which has seduced several multinational mining firms to explore one of the world’s most important energy minerals frequently used in nuclear power plants.

A joint venture formed by the Canadian Vena Resources and Cameco Corporation has concessions mainly in the southeast region of the country called Macusani, where uranium reserves are estimated in 66 million pounds. Cameco is to invest $10 million in exploration; if results are successful, the firm will perform a feasibility study for the construction of a $500 million plant to produce dressed uranium. View complete article Uranium Rich in Peru.

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