From a plateau created by a rock cut made in 1984, when Brazil first started construction on the 1,405-MW Angra 3 nuclear powerplant unit, there is a commanding view of the jobsite where work has now resumed after more than a two-decade lapse.

Angra 3, built using the pressurized-water-reactor design, now is set to operate in 2015 at a cost of about $5.6 billion. It will join two other smaller units, Angra 1 and 2, that were completed decades ago. Work on the newest plant was shut down in 1986 due to Brazil's financial constraints but was resumed in 2010.