CAREM nuclear power plant

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Other names: CAREM25

CAREM nuclear power plant (Central Argentina de Elementos Modulares) is a mothballed nuclear power plant in Partido de Zárate, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Project Details

Table 1: Unit-level project details for CAREM nuclear power plant

Status	Nameplate capacity	Reactor type	Model	Owner	Operator
Mothballed	29 MW	Pressurized water reactor	CAREM Prototype (Integrated-PWR)	Comision Nacional De Energia Atomica [100%]	Comision Nacional De Energia Atomica

Table 3: Additional unit-level capacity details for CAREM nuclear power plant

(Read more about nuclear capacity definitions.)

Reference net capacity	Design net capacity	Thermal capacity
25 MW	25 MW	100 MWt

Location

Table 4: Unit-level location details for CAREM nuclear power plant

Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Partido de Zárate, Buenos Aires, Argentina	-33.9678, -59.21301 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the nuclear power plant:

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Background

Plans for the CAREM nuclear power plant were first introduced in 2006, as part of Argentina's reactivation of nuclear activity plan. The project is funded entirely by the Argentine government, through the National Atomic Energy Commission (Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica), or CNEA. The project moved into construction in September 2013, and first concrete was laid in February 2014, with aims for operation by 2017, however the timeline has been prolonged due to administrative and financial challenges. The project prioritises local manufacturing, with a goal of at least 70% of services and supplies provided by Argentine companies.

In May 2024, construction of the CAREM nuclear power plant was put on hold as a result of budget cuts within CNEA. This is not the first time the project has been mothballed due to government funding and administrative complications, with a similar halt occurring in 2019. It is reported that the May 2024 pause is due to challenges to meet rising inflation rates, that impact budgets of large projects across CNEA. As of June 2024, CNEA is now operating under a new president, and CNEA has a goal of completing the CAREM project within 60 days. There are concerns, however, that the project will not meet this deadline. It is reported that Argentina's newest president, Javier Milei, plans to cut government spending and move toward privatisation of the nation's state entities that could disrupt this project with further budget cuts. As of June 7th, 2024, there are no reports that the CAREM project has resumed construction.

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of global nuclear power plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Nuclear Power Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.