Nuclear energy in Argentina

In Argentina, about 10% [1] of the electricity comes from 3 operational nuclear reactors: The Embalse Nuclear Power Station, a CANDU reactor, and the Atucha 1 plant in 1974, a PHWR German design. In 2001, the plant was modified to burn Slightly Enriched Uranium, making it the first PHWR reactor to burn that fuel worldwide. Atucha originally was planned to be a complex with various reactors. Atucha 2 (similar to Atucha1 but more powerful) began to produce energy on June 3, 2014, is expected to produce 745MWh. Plans for Atucha III, a third reactor in the Atucha complex, have been announced.[2]

Nuclear power stations in Argentina (view)
 Active plants

Argentina also has some other research reactors, and exports nuclear technology. Nucleoeléctrica of Argentina and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited are negotiating over the contracts and project delivery model for a new 740 MWe CANDU  nuclear power plant.[3]

In July 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Argentine President Cristina Fernández Kirchner, during a visit to the country.[4]

In February 2015, Argentine president Cristina Kirchner and Chinese president Xi Jinping signed a cooperation agreement, and the build of a Hualong One design power station has been proposed.[5][6]

In December 2015 a new uranium enrichment plant to manufacture fuel for Argentina's nuclear plants, located in Pilcaniyeu, was inaugurated. The plant will use both gaseous diffusion and more modern laser techniques.[7]

China and Argentina had agreed a contract to build a 700 MWe CANDU 6 derived reactor. Its construction was planned to start in 2018 at Atucha,[8][9] but it was indefinitely suspended by Mauricio Macri's government due to financial issues.[10][11] The building of a 1000 MWe Hualong One plant is planned to start in 2020.[9]

Reactors

Commercial
List of nuclear reactors in Argentina [ view/edit ]
Name Unit
No.		 Reactor Status Capacity in MW Construction start Commercial operation Closure
TypeModelNetGross
Atucha[12]1PHWRSiemens-KWUOperational3353621 June 196824 June 1974
2PHWRSiemens-KWUOperational69274514 July 1981 (halted in 1994, restarted in 2007)27 June 2014
3PHWRCANDU-6Planned[13]800(2025)
5th Plant[14]1PWRHualong-1Planned1000(2020)(2026)
Embalse[15]1PHWRCANDU-6Operational6006481 April 197420 January 1984(2049)[16]
CAREM1PWRCAREM25Under construction25298 February 2014

Research reactors
Name[17] Reactor Status Capacity in kWt Construction start date Operation date Closure Operator and owner
RA-0Tank typeOperational0.0011959Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
RA-1 Enrico FermiTank typeOperational40May 195717 January 1958National Atomic Energy Commission
RA-2Critical assembly typeShut down0.0319 July 1966September 1983National Atomic Energy Commission
RA-3Pool typeOperational10,00020 December 1967National Atomic Energy Commission
RA-4HOMOG typeOperational0.001September 1971Universidad Nacional de Rosario
RA-6Pool typeOperational3,0001 September 197823 September 1982National Atomic Energy Commission
RA-8Critical assembly typeOperation suspended0.0116 June 19972001National Atomic Energy Commission
RA-10Under construction30,000March 2016National Atomic Energy Commission

Legislation

Provinces that ban the construction of nuclear power plants are:[18]

Chaco
  • Provincial Law, Nº 3902
    • Article 1: Declare the territory of the Chaco Province nuclear-free zone.

Corrientes
  • Provincial Law, Nº 4207
    • Article 1: Prohibits throughout the territory of the Corrientes Province, installing nuclear plants.

Entre Ríos
  • Provincial Law, Nº 8785
    • Article 3: It is forbidden the installation of nuclear power plants

La Pampa
  • Provincial Constitution
    • Article 18: La Pampa is declared a nuclear-free zone, to the extent determined by a special law in order to preserve the environment. Any damage it causes to the environment will generate liability under the applicable legal regulations or as may be provided.[19]

Río Negro
  • Provincial Law, Nº 5227
    • Article 1: It is forbidden in the territory of the Province of Río Negro the installation of nuclear power generation plants.

San Luis
  • Provincial Law, Nº 5567
    • Article 1: Declare the territory of the San Luis Province nuclear-free zone.

Santa Fe
  • Provincial Law, Nº 10753
    • Article 1: It is forbidden in the Santa Fe Province, the installation of plants and/or temporary or permanent nuclear deposits.
    • Article 3: Declare the Santa Fe Province nuclear-free zone.

Tierra del Fuego
  • Provincial Constitution
    • Article 56: It is forbidden in the Province. 1 - Conducting tests or nuclear tests of any kind for military purposes. 2 - Generation of energy from nuclear sources. 3 - Introduction and disposal of nuclear, chemical, biological waste or any other type or nature proven to be toxic, hazardous or potentially in the future.[20]

Tucumán
  • Provincial Law, Nº 5253
    • Article 47: It is forbidden in the province: b) Generate energy from nuclear sources.

See also

References
  1. "Atucha 2 reaches 100% rated power". WNN. 19 February 2015.
  2. "Una nueva central nuclear, 30 años después". 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  3. "Canada, Argentina and China to cooperate on Candu projects". World Nuclear News. 2007-09-05. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  4. "Russia moves to support Argentina through new debt crisis". Argentina News.Net. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  5. "Hualong One selected for Argentina". World Nuclear News. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  6. Charlie Zhu and David Stanway (6 March 2015). "'Made in China' nuclear reactors a tough sell in global market". Reuters. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  7. "Argentina resumes uranium enrichment". Nuclear Engineering International. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  8. "Argentina-China talks on new nuclear plants". World Nuclear News. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  9. "Argentina and China sign contract for two reactors". World Nuclear News. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  10. "Stopping Nuclear Plant Construction 'Cancels Part of Argentina's Present and Future". www.larouchepub.com. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
  11. Cronista.com. "Suspenden la construcción las centrales nucleares financiadas por China 'hasta un mejor momento fiscal'". El Cronista (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-06-25.
  12. "Nuclear Power in Argentina | Argentinian Nuclear Energy - World Nuclear Association". www.world-nuclear.org. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  13. "Atucha 3 contract signed". Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  14. "Macri acordó en China que la construcción de Atucha III comenzará en enero". Télam. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  15. Yulia Kosarenko. "NASA fact sheet". Archived from the original on 8 July 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  16. https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/electricpower/the-embalse-nuclear-power-plant-returns-to-service-for-a-new-cycle-of-30-years
  17. "http://www.cienciayenergia.com/Contenido/pdf/020513_rad_tn.pdf" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2018-05-17. External link in |title= (help)
  18. Legislation map
  19. La Pampa Constitution
  20. Tierra del Fuego Constitution
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