| Atucha II Nuclear Power Plant | |
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| Country | Argentina |
| Location | Lima, Buenos Aires |
| Coordinates | |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1981 |
| Commission date | 2011 |
| Operator(s) | Nucleoelectrica Argentina |
| Reactor information | |
| Reactor type(s) | PHWR |
| Reactor supplier(s) | Siemens |
| Turbine manufacturer(s) | Siemens |
| Power station information | |
| Thermal capacity | 2,000 MWt |
| Power generation information | |
| Installed capacity | 750 MW |
Atucha II is a nuclear power plant in Argentina, located in Lima, Buenos Aires, on a site next to Atucha I. Its construction started in June 1981 under a contract with Siemens, but it has not been finished (it is around 80% completed).[1] Like Atucha I, it is a Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR), but was planned to have a much higher power (thermal power approx. 2,000 MW, electrical 750 MW). At the time when it was started, it had the largest reactor pressure vessel of any nuclear power plant worldwide.[2] The total cost is now (2006) estimated at US$3.8 billion, or about $5500/kWe, considerably higher than the worldwide mean of about $1500/kWe.[3]
Partly as a response to the energy shortage caused by natural gas crisis of 2004, the issue of Atucha II was taken up by the Argentine government. In 2005 President Néstor Kirchner signed a decree to reactivate the construction and pledged to finish it by 2009.[4] New technicians were hired and a budget of about $120 million was requested for 2006. Eduardo Messi, president of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina S.A. (the firm in charge of the plant), told reporters that 93% of the components were either in storage or already installed.
On 23 August 2006 the government announced the re-activation of the national nuclear programme, and updated its promise to finish Atucha II by 2010, devoting a total of 1,850 million pesos ($596/€466 million).[5] The plant is slated to come on line with an installed capacity of about 750 MW (3% of Argentina's total electric installed capacity).
Atucha II was "pre-started" on September 28, 2011 by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and it is scheduled to start commercial service by late 2012.[6][7]
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