Technical and economic experience in nuclear power production

The Atucha I nuclear power plant (335 MW(e)), consisting of a pressurized heavy-water-moderated and -cooled reactor, came into commercial operation in June 1974. By 31 October 1981, 2165.6 days of operation had been completed at full load and the net production of electricity had reached 16,854.6 GW(e).h. The average load factor was 89%, discounting the commissioning in 1974 and the extended, planned outages in 1977 (in order to increase the net capacity from 319 to 335 MW(e)) and 1980. A total of 2734 fuel elements were burned with an average discharge burnup of 5701 MW.d/tU and a D2O loss of 12,833 kg. Local fabrication of fuel elements was developed. The equipment required for commercial production was selected, acquired, installed and operated as a pilot plant. The corresponding fabrication processes were developed and adjusted. Staff were trained in the fabrication and control functions, and additional information was obtained through the purchase of the specific equipment and through expert visits. More than 200 fuel elements were produced at a commercial output rate and these gave excellent performance. At one time they made up approximately 50% of the reactor core. The installations (11,600 m2) required for commercial fabrication of the fuel elements for the first three Argentine nuclear power plants were designed and built. A joint company - CONUAR S.A. - was set up with a majority holding in the private sector and under the control of the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA). Technology, equipment, raw materials, trained personnel, etc., were transferred to the company under current market conditions. (author)