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Updated January 2010
Introduction
From the 1960s to the early 1990s, Argentina's nuclear program and missile activities aroused concern that the country was seeking to develop nuclear weapons and possibly aid other countries in developing and delivering them. Argentina has since eschewed nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons but retains an ambitious nuclear energy program. It dismantled its ballistic missile program in the early 1990s.
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Nuclear
Argentina has never produced nuclear weapons. From the 1960s to the early 1990s, however, Argentina pursued an ambitious program of nuclear energy and technological development, which included construction of an unsafeguarded uranium enrichment facility. During that time period, the Argentine government also refused to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to accede to the Latin America nuclear-weapon-free zone (Treaty of Tlatelolco, 1967). When democratic rule returned in 1983, however, the new president placed the nuclear program under civilian control and initiated a process of nuclear confidence building and cooperation with neighboring Brazil. In the early 1990s, the two countries established a bilateral inspection agency to verify both countries' pledges to use nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes. Argentina joined the Treaty of Tlatelolco and the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 1994 and acceded to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state on 10 February 1995. Argentina has not signed the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which would give the Agency expanded access to undeclared nuclear sites.
Atucha I and II nuclear plants (Source: Nucleoelectrica Argentina SA)
Argentina is the first South American country to use nuclear energy. It has two operating nuclear plants, Atucha I and Embalse, which supply 7% of the country’s electricity. It also has one unfinished plant, Atucha II.[1] Nucleoelectrica Argentina S.A. is the state-owned company responsible for operation of all Argentine nuclear plants. In August 2006, Buenos Aires announced a major nuclear initiative worth $3.5 billion over eight years. Argentina plans to, finish its third nuclear reactor plant (Atucha II) by 2010, extend the life of the Embalse nuclear plant by 25 years, and initiate feasibility studies for the construction of a fourth nuclear power unit. The plan also calls for the construction of a CAREM (Central Argentina de Elementos Modulares) reactor using technology indigenously developed by the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA); increased production of heavy water at the Arroyito plant; and revival of uranium enrichment at the Pilcaniyeu plant.[2] In September 2009, Nucleoelectrica Argentina S.A. signed an agreement with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) for the development of an advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR-1000),[3] and in November 2009, the Senate approved the project.[4] The agreement also expands Argentina's opportunities to supply heavy water to worldwide CANDU markets.
Argentina’s advanced nuclear industry is coordinated by the CNEA established in 1950 to develop the country's nuclear technology for civilian use. Four major nuclear complexes and various jointly-owned companies operate under the CNEA[5]:
- Centro Atómico Bariloche, located in San Carlos de Bariloche, houses training facilities for scientific research and technological development, including the Balseiro Institute. It also houses the state nuclear engineering firm Invap which designs and builds research reactors and communication and scientific satellites. Invap recently has expanded its activities to other areas such as space and medical equipment.
- Centro Atómico Constituyentes, located in the district of San Martín, Buenos Aires, carries out a wide range of research activities and houses experimental labs and pilot plants for fabrication of nuclear fuel and research reactors.
- Centro Atómico Ezeiza, located in the district of Ezeiza, Buenos Aires, houses laboratories for production of medical isotopes and the publicly held company (CNEA has 33.3% participation) Combustibles Nucleares Argentinos S.A. (CONUAR S.A.), which supplies fuel elements to Atucha I and Embalse and will be the main supplier to future nuclear plants and research reactors.
- Complejo Tecnológico Pilcaniyeu, located in the district of Rio Negro, is dedicated to research in the fields of nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel cycle. It houses the Uranium hexafluoride (UF6) plant, the pilot gaseous diffusion plant for uranium enrichment, and the SIGMA advanced diffusion enrichment plant.
- Empresa Neuquina de Servicios de Ingeneria (ENSI), a state partnership jointly owned by CNEA and the Province of Neuquen, operates the heavy water industrial production plant located in Arroyito. The plant, with an annual capacity of 200 tons, meets domestic (Atucha I and Embalse) and international (Canada, United States, and South Korea) demand for heavy water.[6]
Argentina has an active export business. Invap has sold research reactors to Algeria, Australia, Egypt, and Perú; the company is now seeking to expand its export market by offering small power reactors and services for large power plants.[7] Another possible market for Invap reactors is Jordan; Argentina signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Jordan in 2008.[8]
CNEA supplies Brazil with more than one-third of its Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) requirement and smaller quantities of this medical isotope to Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Argentina is one of the six world producers of Mo-99 and the only one to use low enriched uranium (LEU) in its production.[9]
In 2008, Argentina signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Brazil, envisaging the development of a nuclear reactor to provide energy for both countries and the creation of a new bi-national company to produce enriched uranium on an industrial scale.[10] Since both countries use different enrichment technology (Argentina uses gas diffusion while Brazil uses centrifuge technology) and fuel enriched to different levels in their power reactors, it is not clear what the practical aspects of this cooperation will be. The agreement specifies clearly that there will be no transfer of Brazilian centrifuge technology to Argentina.[11]
Argentina participates in the U.S. "Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors" program, which seeks to prevent depleted radioactive fuel in various countries from being used for military purposes. All of Argentina’s operating research reactors now use LEU.[12]
Sources:
[1] Atucha I, a 357 MWe PHWR using slightly enriched uranium (0.85%) was supplied by Siemens AG (Germany) and started operation in 1974. Embalse, a 648 MWe CANDU 6 reactor supplied by Canada's Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL), uses natural uranium and started operation in 1984. Atucha II, a 745 MWe PHWR, has a Siemens design like Atucha I. Construction on Atucha II began in 1981 but was suspended in 1994 due to lack of funds. "Centrales Nucleares," Nucleoelectrica Argentina SA, www.na-sa.com.ar/centrales; "Nuclear Power in Argentina," World Nuclear Association, www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf96.html.
[2] Antonio Rossi , "Invertirán US$ 3.500 Millones Para Relanzar El Plan de Desarrollo Nuclear," Clarin, 23 August 2006, www.clarin.com/diario/2006/08/23/elpais/p-01501.htm; Ann MacLachlan, "Argentina unveils ambitious plan for nuclear power expansion," Nucleonics Week 47, no. 35, 9, 31 August 2006.
[3] "AECL Extends Agreement With Argentina For Expanded CANDU Nuclear Co-operation," AECL, 21 September 2009, www.aecl.ca/NewsRoom/News/Press-2009/090921.htm.
[4] "Por Una Cuarta Central Nuclear," Clarín, 25 November 2009, www.clarin.com/diario/2009/11/25/um/m-02048590.htm.
[5] Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, www.cnea.gov.ar/xxi/cnea_info/CNEA.pdf.
[6]Heavy Water, ENSI,www.ensi.com.ar/docs/aguapesada/fr-aguapesada.html.
[7] "INVAP – Nuclear Background," INVAP, http://www.invap.net/nuclear/index-e.html.
[8] "La Argentina Firmó un Acuerdo Nuclear Con Jordania," Clarin, 23 October 2008, www.clarin.com/diario/2008/10/23/um/m-01787689.htm.
[9] "El País, Exportador de Tecnología Nuclear," La Nacion, 20 December 2009, www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1213744; "CNEA vende radioisótopos a Brasil," Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA), 19 November 2009, www.cnea.gov.ar/xxi/noticias/2009/11/RyRaBrasil.asp.
[10] Eleonora Gosman, "Argentina y Brasil Producirán Juntos Uranio Enriquecido," Clarin, 23 February 2008, www.clarin.com/diario/2008/02/23/elpais/p-00402.htm; Mylena Fiori, "Brasil e Argentina Vão Negociar Constituição de Empresa Para Enriquecimento de Urânio," Agência Brasil, 22 February 2008, www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/noticias/2008/02/22/materia.2008-02-22.6178582469/view.
[11] "Marinha Descarta Repassar Tecnologia Nuclear," Agência Estado, 28 September 2008, www.estadao.com.br/geral/not_ger249674,0.htm.
[12] "Ya No Quedan Reactores Con Uranio De Alto Enriquecimiento En El País," Telam, 27 January 2009, http://www.telam.com.ar/vernota.php?tipo=N&dis=27&sec=4&idPub=174991&id=273525
Biological
There are no indications to suggest that Argentina has ever possessed or sought to acquire biological weapons. It is a state party of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), having ratified it in November 1979. In September 1991, Argentina, together with Brazil and Chile, signed the Mendoza Accord, which commits signatories not to use, develop, produce, acquire, stock, or transfer—directly or indirectly—chemical or biological weapons. Argentina further strengthened its nonproliferation credentials when, in 1992, it became a member of the Australia Group, a voluntary system of export controls on chemical and biological agents, precursors, and equipment.
Chemical
There is no evidence that Argentina has ever had a chemical warfare program. Argentina has been active in CW nonproliferation efforts. In 1992, Argentina became a member of the Australia Group and, in October 1995, ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Even before participation in these bodies, Argentina engaged in regional nonproliferation efforts; for example, Argentina signed the Mendoza Accord in 1991, which prohibits both chemical and biological warfare agents.
Missile
Argentina dismantled its medium-range ballistic missile program, the Cóndor II, in the early 1990s. The Cóndor missile program received technical support from a consortium of European firms and funding from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iraq. Argentina’s intent was to develop the Cóndor II not only for its own use—which was largely motivated by its loss in the Falklands/Malvinas War with Great Britain—but for export as well. Concerns that missile technology was reaching the Middle East caused the United States to pressure Argentina to end the program, which it did in 1992. Argentina became a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 1993.
This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for
Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently
verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2010 by MIIS.
