Paraguay’s National Electricity Administration (ANDE – Administración Nacional de Electricidad) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed a non-binding cooperation agreement on applications of small modular reactor (SMR) technology, with a view to its possible integration into Paraguay’s energy matrix in the long term.
The agreement was signed by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and by ANDE President Félix Sosain the presence of IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy Mikhail Chudakov and the Ambassador of Paraguay to Austria, Dr. Juan Francisco Facetti Fernández.
The document establishes a technical cooperation framework aimed at strengthening Paraguay’s energy planning, promoting the analysis of nuclear energy as a possible strategic option within the process of diversifying the national energy mix.
As Paraguay explores new options to meet its growing electricity needs, SMRs are emerging as a viable option and their potential to complement the national energy matrix is in line with Paraguay’s National Energy Policy to 2050, promoted by the Vice Ministry of Mines & Energy.
The main objective of the agreement is to promote technical cooperation, the exchange of knowledge, and the strengthening of institutional capacities for the analysis, planning, and evaluation of advanced energy options, including nuclear energy as a complementary alternative for the development of the national electricity system.
The agreement covers cooperation in key areas such as the analysis of technical, economic, and financial aspects of SMR technology; technical assistance to strengthen Paraguay’s energy planning; the exchange of unclassified information and international best practices; and the implementation of training and professional development programmes for ANDE technical officials.
The framework agreement does not entail legal or financial obligations, but rather constitutes a platform for cooperation for technical analysis and institutional strengthening in an area of growing global relevance. The partnership is part of Paraguay’s long-term strategy to diversify its energy matrix, which is currently heavily dependent on hydroelectric power from plants such as Itaipu and Yacyretá.
