IAEA and Argentina Strengthen Cooperation to Improve Cancer Care and to Address Plastic Pollution in the Antarctica

During an event at Tecnopolis in Buenos Aires on Friday, Mr Grossi joined Adriana Serquis, President of CNEA; Jose Luis Antunez, President of Nucleoelectrica Argentina; and Vicente Campenni, General Manager and CEO of INVAP, to discuss Argentina’s nuclear programme. “It has a concrete impact on the country’s economy and development, with an immense contribution to jobs, health, electricity and technological development,” Mr Grossi said during the event, which was attended by government authorities, nuclear industry representatives and the general public. Nora Bar, former editor of science and health for La Nacion newspaper, moderated the event.

In Mendoza on Thursday, Mr Grossi met with high-level officials of the Association of Metallurgical Industrialists of the Argentine Republic (IMPSA). IMPSA manufactures and supplies equipment for the nuclear industry. “From designing to execution, IMPSA plays a key role in Argentina’s nuclear power program through its involvement in Argentina’s nuclear power plants and especially now in the CAREM (small modular reactor) project,” Mr Grossi said.

On Wednesday, Mr Grossi and Mr Cafiero toured the Bariloche Atomic Centre, where they visited the RA-6 research reactor, CAREM simulator, INTECNUS (Institute of Nuclear Technology for Health) and the Balseiro Institute. “There is remarkable scientific development for Argentina and Latin America happening at Bariloche Atomic Centre, home to the RA-6 research reactor – an important tool for education and capacity building,” he said. “It is impressive to see its impact on medicine, agriculture and more.” RA-6 is used for research and development in reactor physics and nuclear engineering, as well as neutron activation analysis, among other uses. Argentina is in the process of constructing a new research reactor, RA-10, which will support Argentina in radioisotope production for medical purposes.

Earlier this week, Mr Grossi, alongside Mr Cafiero, met with Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez and expressed gratitude for Argentina’s support of the IAEA’s efforts to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.