Applying a small NPP in the Argentine mining industry

The CAREM 25 reactor project is a small PWR nuclear power plant of 27 MWe, based on advanced concepts: a self-pressurized integral primary with natural convection of the coolant and a more simple and reliable general design. The CAREM concept has many advantages as a power generator in small electrical grids. Besides, there are some non-electrical applications under consideration, since a co-generation scheme seems very interesting from the economical point of view. In this category two alternatives have been considered: a standard desalination facility and a process plant in the mining industry. In this paper, a conceptual analysis of the second alternative is presented. Mining is a branch of the domestic industry that has shown a remarkable growth in the past three years mainly due to a steady inflow of foreign investments (about two billion dollars for that period). And one of the most attractive markets is in the extraction and manufacturing of non-ferrous minerals, coming from deposits in the northwest of Argentina: sodium sulfate, lithium salts, and boron compounds. Nevertheless it faces an unsolved problem in the energy high prices due to the fact that the production sites are located in remote areas where the only achievable energy source is the transportation of fuel oil. In this scenario, a small NPP may be a competitive source of process heat and electricity, with enough autonomy to uncouple fuel requirements from production strategies. The present study analyses the possible application of the CAREM concept in the non-ferrous mining industry of the Northwest of Argentina, considering a co-generation scheme. The main results of this analysis and the inherent advantages of the approach, show that the alternative may be feasible both from the technical and the economical points of view. (author)