Nuclear Reactors Made in Patagonia Argentine Firm Invap, Leader in the Nuclear Technology Field in Latin America, Makes Its Mark in the Aerospace Sector
Nuclear Reactors made in Patagonia Argentine firm Invap, leader in the nuclear technology field in Latin America, makes its mark in the aerospace sector FRANCISCA RISATTI Buenos Aires 9 OCT 2016 In 2000, when Australia had to decide who would build its only nuclear research reactor to replace a British model, an Argentine public-funded company, which at the time had 350 employees, fought off competition from industry heavyweights such as the French firm Technicatome (‘Areva’ since 2006) and the German firm Siemens. Invap built the reactor at its Patagonian hub in San Carlos de Bariloche. The achievement, marking the firm’s first export to a developed country, set it firmly among the big league for service providers of nuclear technology for peaceful means. Today, on the verge of celebrating its 40th anniversary, and following a move towards greater diversification, the company has proved Argentina to be the only Latin American country capable of designing, building and operating its own satellites. The Argentine Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as its former assistant director-general, Rafael Grossi, has said that the company occupies a “leading position” in the research reactor industry. “Invap’s great asset is its ability to produce what the client needs, rather than selling them something they already make. Invap sees the problem and the technological requirements and then considers and designs the solution”, Grossi stated. “When we won the bid for the Australia project, the company was turning over around 30 million dollars per year. Over the last 15 years, this figure has increased six-fold and today we have a turnover of around 200 million dollars”, said Héctor Otheguy, the company’s CEO, at Invap’s headquarters in Buenos Aires.
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