On the margins of the 68th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held this week in Vienna, Foreign Minister Mondino continued with her busy agenda and participated in the presentation by the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) of the RA-10 Multipurpose Research Reactor, which is currently under construction in Argentina.
During her speech at the plenary session of the Conference in Vienna, Mondino reaffirmed the “strategic importance” Argentina attaches to nuclear technology and its peaceful uses and stated that Argentina “is a responsible and reliable producer and exporter of nuclear technology and related components to various countries across the five continents.”
In addition, she stressed that “amidst global instability and geopolitical tensions, Argentina calls for a stop to nuclear rhetoric and threats of massive destruction with nuclear weapons, which are unacceptable. Furthermore, Argentina adheres to the call by IAEA Director General to avoid any action that may damage or endanger facilities containing nuclear or radioactive materials during armed conflicts. Nuclear safety and security must prevail.”
She also reiterated “Argentina’s concern over the nuclear safety, security and safeguards situation during the Russo-Ukrainian war. We acknowledge the importance of the five IAEA missions to and its permanent presence in Ukrainian territory to monitor this pressing situation, as well as the Director General's visit to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. Argentina supports the extensive work and efforts made by the Agency and its Director General.”
The Foreign Minister recalled her trip to the Argentine Antarctica together with President Javier Milei earlier this year during the visit of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to the country and said that “the trip to Antarctica and the signing of agreements bear witness to the capabilities Argentina can offer to the region and the rest of the world in terms of science and nuclear technology and their applications.”
Furthermore, the Foreign Minister highlighted two major Argentine projects, currently at an advanced stage: the RA-10 multipurpose research reactor, which is undergoing its final construction stage at the Ezeiza Atomic Centre, and the accelerator for advanced proton beam therapy, which will become the first proton therapy centre in Latin America.
In this regard, Mondino stressed that these projects “are based on the principle of technological sovereignty and the inalienable right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy” and added that “the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC), a fundamental pillar of our role as a responsible and reliable nuclear energy producer, has become a global example of cooperation and trust between countries in a critical area.”
She added that “in the future, nuclear energy is bound to play a more prominent role, as it is a clean energy source. For this reason, Argentina promotes cooperation to ensure safe access to these technologies.”
In the context of the Conference, Argentina is organizing an exhibition of the developments in the Argentine nuclear programme achieved by CNEA and INVAP.
The IAEA is the world’s main forum for the promotion of the peaceful use of nuclear technology, including electricity generation, within the United Nations System. Argentina has been a Member State of the IAEA, as well as a Board member, since the Agency's creation in 1957. The Board of Governors is the main policy-making body and it is made up of 35 members, which are distributed geographically and designated according to their level of nuclear development. The IAEA is an important platform for technical and scientific cooperation for the Argentine nuclear sector and for other public entities.
Presentation of the Argentine RA-10 reactor
Today, the Foreign Minister, together with the President of CNEA, Germán Guido Lavalle, participated in the presentation of the Argentine RA-10 Multipurpose Research Reactor, during which they offered a detailed overview of the technical capacities of the reactor, as well as the project status and its applications in the nuclear medicine industry.
The RA-10 is a 30 MW power reactor and its design was based on the OPAL reactor (sold by INVAP to Australia). It is currently under construction at the Ezeiza Atomic Centre (CAE) and the overall completion rate is at 80%. Civil works have already been completed. This project will secure the supply of radioisotopes for medical, industrial and agricultural use for the domestic and international markets to meet the growing demand. It is expected to have different related facilities, including a neutron beam laboratory, a fission plant for the production of radioisotopes and an irradiated materials laboratory.
Mondino explained that the “RA-10 is Argentina’s contribution to solving some of the challenges we are facing in terms of health, economic development, science and energy transition. I invite you all to come and visit Argentina and learn more about our nuclear sector, including the RA-10 reactor. Our country has a long-standing tradition of cooperation, capacity development and technology transfer. We are open to exploring new collaboration opportunities that will allow us to realize the potential of the RA-10. In a way, it is the crown jewel of Argentina’s nuclear science.”
Finally, the Foreign Minister said that “Argentina has a long-standing commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, undertaken exactly 74 years, with the CNEA as its cornerstone. This has enabled us to become a responsible player in the nuclear industry and to export nuclear technology to every continent, through companies such as INVAP and CONUAR.”
Tomorrow, Foreign Minister Mondino will continue with her agenda in Vienna, including bilateral meetings with Austria's Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy, as well as local businesspeople and investors. In addition, she will open INVAP's exhibition at the IAEA.
