Argentine Provinces Highlight Uranium and Copper Potential at Argentina Week to Attract Global Investment

At Argentina Week, Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres underscored the province’s substantial uranium reserves, highlighting the Cerro Solo deposit that holds an estimated 4,400 tonnes of uranium, the largest known in Argentina. Despite provincial prohibitions on uranium mining, approval for exploration in areas like Laguna Salada is advancing, with firms such as Jaguar Uranium Corp accelerating drilling and sampling activities. Torres framed this as a timely response to growing global demand for secure energy resources. He also drew attention to Chubut’s hydrocarbon and renewable energy potential, noting infrastructure enhancements like a 500 kV power line expected to triple renewable generation capacity and attract foreign partnerships for unconventional exploration.

San Juan Governor Marcelo Orrego presented the province as a dominant hub for copper investment, currently capturing over 50% of Argentina’s large investment projects under the Régimen de Incentivo a las Grandes Inversiones (RIGI), with copper-related investments projected to exceed $30 billion. Orrego emphasized macroeconomic stability and legal certainty as key factors in attracting capital, signaling confidence rebuilding among international investors.

At the federal level, the Argentine nuclear sector, coordinated by the Secretariat of Nuclear Affairs, featured major state and private companies including Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, INVAP, Dioxitek, and UrAmerica. The sector aims to restart uranium mining, develop the nuclear fuel cycle, and position Argentina as a supplier for emerging technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs). Companies like Dioxitek and Conuar are expanding capacities in uranium hexafluoride production and fuel element manufacturing, aligning with the global resurgence of nuclear power.

The overall agenda, backed by large financial institutions like JP Morgan and Bank of America, reflects a multidimensional strategy to attract foreign direct investment by leveraging Argentina’s resource wealth and technological capabilities in mining and nuclear energy amid shifting global energy priorities.