Argentina approves $1.2 bn private SMR project at Atucha

The Argentine government announced a private investment of US$1.2 billion to build a small modular reactor (SMR) at the Atucha nuclear complex. The project, presented by Meitner Energy – a firm linked to the US‑based Ansari Group with a 40 % stake held by INVAP – proposes the ACR‑300, a 300‑MWe Generation III+ PWR design developed by Argentine engineers. Economy Minister Luis Caputo met with Meitner executives and Nuclear Secretary Federico Ramos Napoli to formalise the proposal, which could be incorporated into the “Super RIGI” incentive regime.

If approved, the five‑year construction would create roughly 2,000 direct jobs and allow Nucleoelectrica Argentina to operate the plant under market terms, while Meitner would pay a land‑use fee. The reactor would be the first commercial “First‑of‑Kind” of its design worldwide. The announcement comes amid controversy over recent layoffs at the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), highlighting a contrast between private capital influx and public sector cuts.