The national government confirmed that the Argentine Multipurpose Reactor RA-10 will begin operations in 2027, after the current administration revived a project that was without funding and had various construction fronts paralyzed. The Secretary of Nuclear Affairs, Federico Ramos Napoli, announced that the commissioning process will start before the end of 2026, aiming to complete this stage during the first months of the following year.
The announcement was made at the Ezeiza Atomic Center, where a scheme was also presented to incorporate private capital to finance the construction of the radioisotope production plant associated with the reactor. The RA-10 constitutes the largest project developed by the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) in recent decades. The agency owns the technology and is responsible for the project, while INVAP participates in management and the provision of specialized engineering services.
When the current national administration began, the assembly of the equipment and systems was 52% complete, while contracts and various work fronts remained paralyzed due to lack of funding. Following the revival driven by the government, the civil works and engineering were completed and assembly reached 96%. Currently, about 530 people are working on the project and, once construction is finished, the stages corresponding to licensing and commissioning will begin.
However, the completion of the reactor is not sufficient to commercially develop radioisotopes, as a specific plant is required to process the irradiated materials from the RA-10. Due to the previously existing lack of funding, the Secretary of Nuclear Affairs defined a model that will allow for private investment to develop and construct that facility, in addition to participating in the associated productive and commercial activities.
