RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil will resume construction of four nuclear power plants as planned, the country's Mining and Energy Minister Eduardo Braga announced Wednesday.

"We have discussed and debated (and now) we have to take important steps in that direction, boldly and bravely," said Braga.

Addressing a Senate session, Braga said the country can not abandon its plans to build the plants, which were to be completed by 2030, but temporarily shelved following the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan.

Officials have already selected 21 possible sites for the new plants, he added.

Brazil already has two plants in operation - Angra 1 and 2 in the southeastern state of Rio de Janeiro. A third (Angra 3) is under construction and is expected to be operational in 2018.