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Released August 23, 2022 | CORDOBA
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Although renewable energy represents most of Latin America's installed base and leads by far the investments in new capacity, the region has more than 5.3 gigawatts (GW) of installed-base nuclear generation and plans to add nearly 4.2 GW by 2036.
The region has a long history in nuclear-power generation. In 1974, the 362-megawatt (MW) Atucha I nuclear power plant began commercial operations in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, using pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) technology. Ten years later, in 1984, the 648-MW Embalse I heavy-water CANDU nuclear power plant was inaugurated in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, and a second PHWR plant started operations in Atucha in 2014, expanding Argentina's nuclear installed base an additional 745 MW.
Also in 2014, construction began on the CAREM project, a 32-MW pilot nuclear plant using a prototype small modular reactor (SMR) that was developed by Argentina's National Commission of Nuclear Energy (CNEA). This project won't be operational before the end of 2023, but CNEA already is working to design 100-120-MW CAREM reactors for export. This project is being developed within the Atucha Nuclear Complex. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can click here for the CAREM project report.
In February, the governments of Argentina and China announced the signature of an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the construction of the 1.2-GW Atucha III Power Plant (also known as "Fourth Nuclear Power Plant") using Chinese HPR-1000 technology. Since this announcement, Argentinian authorities have been working on the financial closure for the project, which will require US$8.3 billion for construction of the plant and use of the Chinese technology. Final capital approval is expected in late 2022, with preliminary construction to begin in early 2023. However, financial closure for the project is expected to take longer than originally planned, mainly because Argentina is now seeking 100% external capital financing, versus 85% as initially planned. Also, there has been some criticism over the project's technological dependence on China and the use of enriched uranium. Subscribers can click here for the Atucha III project report.
Brazil was the second country in the region to have nuclear power generation. In 1985, the 640-MW Angra I nuclear power plant was inaugurated in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The facility uses Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology. In 2001, the 1.35-GW Angra II nuclear plant started operations, using Siemens-KWU PWR technology.
Then, after more than 20 years of development and announcements, in 2010 construction began on the third unit at the Angra Nuclear Complex--the 1.4-GW Angra III Nuclear Project; will use Siemens pre-Konvoi PWR technology. But in 2015, in the wake of the "Lava Jato" public works-related corruption scandal, construction was halted. In May this year, site activities have resumed. Project owner and developer Eletronuclear S.A. (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) recently awarded the final civil works contract for the reactor, and by the end of the year it plans to tender the EPC contract to complete civil works and mechanical assembly of the powerhouse. According to its new schedule, the plant should be operational by the end 2026. Subscribers can click here for the Angra III project report.
Early this year, Eletronuclear announced plans for the construction of a fourth 1-GW unit at the complex. This project is in an early planning phase and construction won't start before 2027. To learn more on this project, click here.
The third and last country with nuclear power in the region is Mexico. In 1990 and 1995, the first and second units, respectively, began operations at the 1.6-GW Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Complex in the state of Veracruz, using General Electric BWR-5 technology. Initially, both units had a capacity of 675 MW, but between 2007 and 2011, a modernization and uprate project was carried out, increasing it to 810 MW per unit.
In the past, different plans have been announced for the addition of up to six additional units to the Laguna Verde complex, but they all have been discarded due to economic, environmental and social reasons. This year, state-owned Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), which owns the complex, announced plans to add up to 2.5 GW of new nuclear generation capacity by 2036, using SMRs in different locations instead of replacing Laguna Verde's units. CFE didn't provide any details regarding possible sites, the number of units or their capacity, nor tentative project schedules.
CFE did say it would develop cheap and secure SMRs, which leads to the question of whether this could be a future market for Argentina's CAREM reactor development program.
Subscribers can click here for a list of all projects and click here for all plants mentioned in this article.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
The region has a long history in nuclear-power generation. In 1974, the 362-megawatt (MW) Atucha I nuclear power plant began commercial operations in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, using pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) technology. Ten years later, in 1984, the 648-MW Embalse I heavy-water CANDU nuclear power plant was inaugurated in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, and a second PHWR plant started operations in Atucha in 2014, expanding Argentina's nuclear installed base an additional 745 MW.
Also in 2014, construction began on the CAREM project, a 32-MW pilot nuclear plant using a prototype small modular reactor (SMR) that was developed by Argentina's National Commission of Nuclear Energy (CNEA). This project won't be operational before the end of 2023, but CNEA already is working to design 100-120-MW CAREM reactors for export. This project is being developed within the Atucha Nuclear Complex. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can click here for the CAREM project report.
In February, the governments of Argentina and China announced the signature of an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the construction of the 1.2-GW Atucha III Power Plant (also known as "Fourth Nuclear Power Plant") using Chinese HPR-1000 technology. Since this announcement, Argentinian authorities have been working on the financial closure for the project, which will require US$8.3 billion for construction of the plant and use of the Chinese technology. Final capital approval is expected in late 2022, with preliminary construction to begin in early 2023. However, financial closure for the project is expected to take longer than originally planned, mainly because Argentina is now seeking 100% external capital financing, versus 85% as initially planned. Also, there has been some criticism over the project's technological dependence on China and the use of enriched uranium. Subscribers can click here for the Atucha III project report.
Brazil was the second country in the region to have nuclear power generation. In 1985, the 640-MW Angra I nuclear power plant was inaugurated in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The facility uses Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology. In 2001, the 1.35-GW Angra II nuclear plant started operations, using Siemens-KWU PWR technology.
Then, after more than 20 years of development and announcements, in 2010 construction began on the third unit at the Angra Nuclear Complex--the 1.4-GW Angra III Nuclear Project; will use Siemens pre-Konvoi PWR technology. But in 2015, in the wake of the "Lava Jato" public works-related corruption scandal, construction was halted. In May this year, site activities have resumed. Project owner and developer Eletronuclear S.A. (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) recently awarded the final civil works contract for the reactor, and by the end of the year it plans to tender the EPC contract to complete civil works and mechanical assembly of the powerhouse. According to its new schedule, the plant should be operational by the end 2026. Subscribers can click here for the Angra III project report.
Early this year, Eletronuclear announced plans for the construction of a fourth 1-GW unit at the complex. This project is in an early planning phase and construction won't start before 2027. To learn more on this project, click here.
The third and last country with nuclear power in the region is Mexico. In 1990 and 1995, the first and second units, respectively, began operations at the 1.6-GW Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Complex in the state of Veracruz, using General Electric BWR-5 technology. Initially, both units had a capacity of 675 MW, but between 2007 and 2011, a modernization and uprate project was carried out, increasing it to 810 MW per unit.
In the past, different plans have been announced for the addition of up to six additional units to the Laguna Verde complex, but they all have been discarded due to economic, environmental and social reasons. This year, state-owned Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), which owns the complex, announced plans to add up to 2.5 GW of new nuclear generation capacity by 2036, using SMRs in different locations instead of replacing Laguna Verde's units. CFE didn't provide any details regarding possible sites, the number of units or their capacity, nor tentative project schedules.
CFE did say it would develop cheap and secure SMRs, which leads to the question of whether this could be a future market for Argentina's CAREM reactor development program.
Subscribers can click here for a list of all projects and click here for all plants mentioned in this article.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
