Atucha Nuclear Power Plant#Atucha II

Atucha I was started in 1968 and began operation in 1974; it was the first nuclear power plant in Latin America. On 25 March 1973, before its completion, the plant was temporarily captured by the People's Revolutionary Army who stole a FMK-3 submachine gun and three .45 caliber handguns. When they retired they had a confrontation with the police, injuring two police officers.[http://www.ruinasdigitales.com/revistas/EstrellaRoja%2019.pdf Estrella Roja Nº19] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119164447/http://www.ruinasdigitales.com/revistas/EstrellaRoja%2019.pdf |date=19 November 2011 }}, p. 10.[http://www.natcapsolutions.org/publications_files/BrittlePower/BrittlePower_Parts123.pdf Brittle Power] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402203813/http://www.natcapsolutions.org/publications_files/BrittlePower/BrittlePower_Parts123.pdf |date=2 April 2016 }}, p. 144.

It has a thermal power of 1,179 MW_th, and generates 362 MW_e of electricity, which is delivered at 220 kilovolts to the Argentine Interconnection System, supplying about 2.5% of the total electricity production (2005).

Atucha II is a natural uranium fueled reactor, which construction started in July 1981 under a contract with Siemens, but was halted in 1994.{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/argentina-energy-nuclear-idINN0911595720100909 |title=FACTBOX-Argentina's nuclear power plants |date=9 September 2010 | publisher=Reuters |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414130212/https://www.reuters.com/article/argentina-energy-nuclear-idINN0911595720100909 |archive-date=14 April 2022 |access-date=14 April 2022}} It was planned to have a much higher power (thermal power approx. 2,000 MW, electrical 750 MW) than Atucha I. At the time when it was started, it had the largest reactor pressure vessel of any nuclear power plant worldwide.{{cite journal |author=Facundo Deluchi |url=http://www.salvador.edu.ar/csoc/idicso/docs/arep_a0_oct06.pdf |title=Análisis del plan nuclear argentino |date=1 October 2006 |accessdate=10 November 2006 |publisher=Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Sociales, Universidad del Salvador |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413233116/http://www.salvador.edu.ar/csoc/idicso/docs/arep_a0_oct06.pdf |archive-date=13 April 2008 |url-status=dead }} The total cost as of 2006 was estimated at US$3.8 billion, or about $5500/kWe. Atucha II like Atucha I before it is one of only a handful of heavy water reactors of a type other than the CANDU-type or the related IPHWR-type ever built. Prior to the EPR it was the last nuclear power plant built by Siemens.

Partly as a response to the energy shortage caused by natural gas crisis of 2004, the issue of Atucha II was taken up by the Argentine government. In 2005 President Néstor Kirchner signed a decree to reactivate the construction and pledged to finish it by 2009.Clarín. 4 September 2005. [http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/09/04/elpais/p-01401.htm El Gobierno dice que terminará la central Atucha II en cuatro años] New technicians were hired and a budget of about $120 million was requested for 2006. Eduardo Messi, president of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina S.A. (the firm in charge of the plant), told reporters that 93% of the components were either in storage or already installed.

On 23 August 2006 the government announced the re-activation of the national nuclear programme, and updated its promise to finish Atucha II by 2010, devoting a total of 1,850 million pesos ($596/€466 million).La Nación. 24 August 2006. [http://www.lanacion.com.ar/834179 Lanzó el Gobierno un plan de impulso a la energía nuclear] The plant was slated to come online with an installed capacity of about 745 MW (3% of Argentina's total electric installed capacity).

Atucha II was "pre-started" on 28 September 2011 by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and it was scheduled to start commercial service by mid-2013.By April 2014, it was, however, not yet connected to the grid.

{{cite news| url = http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=30891| title = President helps with Atucha 2 pre-start| publisher = World Nuclear News| date = 29 September 2011| accessdate = 1 October 2011| archive-date = 3 March 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191404/http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=30891| url-status = dead}}{{cite news| url = http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/80159/cfk-activates-atucha-ii-nuclear-power-plant| title = CFK praises Argentina's 'leadership in peaceful nuclear energy'| newspaper = Buenos Aires Herald| date=28 September 2011| accessdate=1 October 2011}}{{cite news| url = http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/argentinas-atucha-unit-2-to-be-on-line.html| title = Argentina's Atucha Unit 2 to be on line mid-2013| newspaper = Atomic Power Review| date = 3 December 2012| accessdate = 23 January 2013| archive-date = 11 April 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150411111440/http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/argentinas-atucha-unit-2-to-be-on-line.html| url-status = dead}}

On 3 June 2014 reached its first criticality,[http://www.infobae.com/2014/06/03/1569932-pusieron-marcha-el-reactor-la-central-nuclear-atucha-ii Pusieron en marcha el reactor de la Central Nuclear Atucha II][http://portalweb.cammesa.com/Pages/GenAtucha.aspx Power Output] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714210447/http://portalweb.cammesa.com/Pages/GenAtucha.aspx |date=14 July 2014 }} and on 27 June 2014 began to produce energy.[http://www.minplan.gob.ar/noticia/15870/la-central-nuclear-nestor-kirchner-atucha-ii-comenzo-a-generar-energia.html La Central Nuclear Néstor Kirchner -Atucha II- comenzó a generar energía] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715003042/http://www.minplan.gob.ar/noticia/15870/la-central-nuclear-nestor-kirchner-atucha-ii-comenzo-a-generar-energia.html |date=15 July 2014 }}

On 19 February 2015, the plant reached 100% power production for the first time, increasing the percentage of nuclear power in Argentina's energy mix from 7% to 10%.{{Cite web|url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Atucha-2-reaches-100-percent-rated-power-19021502.html|title=Atucha 2 reaches 100% rated power - World Nuclear News}}

In February 2022, Argentina and the China National Nuclear Corporation agreed on an engineering, procurement, and construction contract for a Hualong One nuclear power plant with a gross generation capacity of 1200 MWe, at a cost of about US$8 billion.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/china-inks-nuclear-power-plant-deal-with-argentina-2022-02-02/ |title=China inks $8 bln nuclear power plant deal in Argentina |last1=Singh |first1=Shivani |last2=Jourdan |first2=Adam |publisher=Reuters |url-access=subscription |date=2 February 2022 |access-date=2 February 2022}}{{cite news |url=https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/China-and-Argentina-sign-nuclear-project-deal |title=China and Argentina sign nuclear project deal |publisher=World Nuclear News |date=2 February 2022 |access-date=2 February 2022}} Unlike the other two blocks the Hualong One is a light water reactor - which would make it the first such reactor in the country - and thus needs a higher enriched fuel, requiring Argentina either to build up uranium enrichment facilities or to import fuel for this reactor. The Hualong One is also not capable of online refueling but it is a much more powerful design than the other two blocks at Atucha and will have a higher nameplate capacity than the other two reactors combined.

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• {{in lang|es}} [http://www.monografias.com/trabajos/atucha/atucha.shtml Monografias.com]
• {{in lang|es}} [http://html.rincondelvago.com/central-nuclear-atucha.html RinconDelVago.com]

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Category:Nuclear power stations in Argentina

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Category:Heavy-water reactors