Atomic Energy of Canada Signs $400 Million Contract to Support Nucleoelectrica Argentina Sociedad Anonima’s Refurbishment and Life Extension Project

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). The Argentine utility owner and operator of the Embalse CANDU Nuclear Power Plant has plans to refurbish and extend the service life of the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant beyond 2030. The Central Nuclear Embalse (CNE), which began commercial operation in 1984, is located in the Province of Cordoba, some 68 miles to the south of the homonymous city.

The plant was built by an Italian-Canadian consortium formed by Italimpianti and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). It is a CANDU pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) with a thermal power of 2,109 MW and generates 648 MW of electricity, with a net output of about 600 MW. It also supplies nearly 4.5% of the production of the Argentine Interconnection System.

Refurbishment allows for continued reactor operation. This involves retubing, (replacing the reactor components at the end of service life), service fitness confirmation of the entire plant and the implementation of safety upgrades. Refurbishment pre-project work has already started and is being executed jointly by AECL, Ansaldo Energy & Nuclear (Italy) and Nucleoelectrica Argentina Sociedad Anonima (NASA). The study phase will take three years to complete, and the construction phase is scheduled to start in 2011 and will be completed over an 18-month period. The Embalse work involves extending useful life by 25 years and will cost about $400 million.

Argentina faces an acute energy crisis, with rising oil prices and shortages of natural gas. The country’s increase in internal demand has forced it to reduce exports of natural gas to Chile and Uruguay. Although several hydroelectric and other energy projects are under way, the Argentine government has made nuclear energy a priority to meet energy needs and sustain economic growth.

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