Romanian "Feldioara" supplies Argentina with nuclear fuel.

The Romanian industrial complex “Feldioara” has received an international tender to supply Argentina with uranium dioxide that will cover the annual needs of its nuclear power plants. This achievement represents the first-ever export of nuclear fuel of this kind from Romania to a country that also uses heavy-water moderated and cooled reactors

The uranium processing plant “Feldioara”, part of the company “Nuclearelectrica”, has won the tender to supply Argentina's nuclear power plants in the coming year. Company officials stated that this is the first time that “Feldioara” supplies nuclear material to another country with heavy-water reactors, which marks a major success and a confirmation of the quality of their product. This so-called “CANDU” fuel, specific to this type of reactor, is produced in the Romanian town of Pitești, and “Feldioara” provides the key raw material.

This strategic step was accomplished two years after “Nuclearelectrica” took over the Feldioara plant in December 2022, with the aim of preserving and developing an integrated nuclear fuel cycle in Romania.

Romania and Argentina share technological compatibility, as both countries use heavy-water-cooled and moderated reactors (CANDU design), which made this collaboration possible. Romania has two such reactors at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, while Argentina also operates with three heavy-water reactors, including one CANDU-type at the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant. These reactors are characterized by several features: they use heavy water for both cooling and moderation and, due to their exceptional neutron economy, can use natural (unenriched) uranium. In addition, reactors of this type have the ability to refuel without shutting down, which is also a huge advantage.

This contract opens a new international dimension for Romania's nuclear industry.