Argentina Plans to Commission RA-10 Multipurpose Nuclear Reactor in 2027

The National Atomic Energy Commission of Argentina and the Secretariat of Nuclear Affairs have announced that they plan to begin commissioning work on the 30-megawatt open-pool type RA-10 multipurpose nuclear research reactor before the end of the year.

Latest Stage Reached in the Project

As part of the work carried out at the RA-10 site at the Ezeiza Atomic Center, a team of 530 people is reported to be working to complete system tests and final preparations. It is stated that the project, carried out by the nuclear technology firm Invap, which is involved in design and construction as the main contractor, is 96 percent complete.

Critical Production for Health and Industry

With the commissioning of the RA-10 reactor, it is anticipated that approximately 20 percent of the global demand for the molybdenum-99 radioisotope used in nuclear medicine will be met. In addition, production of doped silicon for industrial applications, along with research and educational activities in various fields, will be carried out at the reactor facility.

Private Capital and Financing Model

Within the framework of the new model introduced under the leadership of Secretary of Nuclear Affairs Federico Ramos Napoli and CNEA President Martín Porro, private capital is planned to be included in the process for the development of the production facility connected to the reactor. While the national government will maintain strategic leadership, the regulatory authority will remain with the Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

History and Infrastructure Developments

Approved in 2010, the RA-10 project will replace the 10-megawatt RA-3 reactor, which has been in service since 1967. Civil construction work on the reactor, for which the construction license was granted in 2014, began in 2016, and the project also includes the Argentine Neutron Beam Laboratory.