The Embalse nuclear power plant in Argentina resumed commercial operation following a three-year upgrade programme that was completed in January, the country's Ministry of Energy announced on 30 May. Plant operator Nucleoelectrica Argentina has been conducting tests in the four months since first criticality.

Embalse (Image: Nucleoeléctrica Argentina)

The plant was shut down at the end of 2015 for the modernisation work, which included reactor retubing and replacing the steam generators. It also included a 6% increase of the plant's capacity to 683 MWe. Embalse entered commercial operation in 1984 and is now able to continue operation for another 30 years,

Argentina has three operating nuclear power plants, all pressurised heavy water reactors. With total generating capacity of 1627 MWe, the three units - Atucha 1 and 2 plus Embalse - provide about 10% of the country's electricity.

Located in the province of Córdoba, the Embalse plant achieved a first controlled nuclear chain reaction, also known as criticality, on 4 January. It is the third Candu 6 reactor to undergo a full refurbishment, after Wolsong 1 in South Korea and Point Lepreau in Canada.