Nucleoeléctrica Argentina and the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) have signed a contract for completion of the reactor building for the country’s prototype Carem-25 small modular nuclear reactor.

The agreement was signed by CNEA president Adriana Serquis and Nucleoeléctrica Argentina president José Luis Antúnez. Mr Serquis said the signing of the contract represented “a very important milestone in the beginning of the reactivation of the nuclear sector”.

Construction of Carem-25 began with the completion of the pouring of first concrete in February 2014. However, the was suspended in 2019 because of what Buenos Aires called “breaches by contractor companies”. Press reports in Argentina said contractor Techint Engineering & Construction halted work on Carem-25 in November 2019, citing late payment from the government, design changes and late delivery of technical documentation.