Rio. February 18, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - On Friday, in Rio, the Executive Secretary of the Minister of Science and Technology, Wanderley de Souza, will inaugurate the Man/System Interface Laboratory, of the Institute of Nuclear Engineering, for the implementation of activities to reinforce operational security at the Angra I and II nuclear plants, on the southern coast of the State of Rio. The initiative is part of a technical cooperation agreement between Brazil and South Korea for peaceful applications of nuclear energy.

The project involves resources of approximately US$ 345 thousand from the Inter-American Atomic Energy Agency and will receive collaboration from Korean scientists. The laboratory will make it possible to simulate processes developed by PWR-type nuclear plants (similar to the two Brazilian units), with 900 megawatts of capacity. From this, graphic interfaces can be developed
to provide support for the plants' operators, allowing for the modernization of the plants' control rooms, as well as a concomitant increase in the efficiency and security of operations. (DAS)