Under the new framework, CNEA will provide technical knowledge and human resources while private entities assume investment risk and operational responsibilities in production projects. This marks the first formal integration of private capital into Argentina’s nuclear sector, which has operated predominantly under state control since CNEA’s establishment in 1950. The administration is proceeding with a 44 percent share sale of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, the operator of three power plants generating approximately seven percent of national electricity. The government retains 51 percent ownership while allocating five percent to employee shareholding. Nucleoeléctrica recorded a profit of 17.2 billion pesos in the first quarter, making it one of few profitable state enterprises. Valuations range between $560 million and $1 billion.
Construction has been suspended on the CAREM25 small modular reactor at the Atucha site, despite 85 percent completion since groundbreaking in 2014. Officials cited lack of commercial viability for the funding cut. Engineers previously assigned to CAREM are reportedly migrating to Meitner, a private entity developing the ACR-300 reactor design. The administration prioritizes uranium mining resumption, with international attention focused on Cerro Solo deposits in Chubut province where operations ceased in the 1990s. State-owned Dioxitek signed supply commitments with U.S.-based Nano Nuclear Energy for uranium hexafluoride, a material not used in Argentina’s natural uranium reactors, indicating export orientation. Former CNEA president Adriana Serquis warned the strategy serves external markets while undermining domestic capabilities. Argentina imports uranium despite possessing proven reserves estimated to meet 70 years of current domestic demand.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
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