Pallas

HIGH ADDED VALUE TECHNOLOGY
Argentina – through its technology company INVAP - has proudly won the international tender for a nuclear research reactor and radioisotope production facility for medical uses in The Netherlands.

This is a milestone in the history of national technology since Argentina manage to enter the competitive European nuclear-technology market.

Exporting high value-added technology strengthens our position as a trustworthy country in the nuclear field for peaceful purposes. Furthermore, this achievement markedly shows Argentina’s scientific and technological capacity, which will in turn favor the country’s international and commercial relations worldwide.

Foundation Preparation Pallas Reactor

Client, Tender, Winners

The Client: Pallas Foundation from The Netherlands. By means of a thorough and comprehensive evaluation procedure, they have selected INVAP’s commercial and technical proposal as the winning tenderer.

It is worth mentioning, that this is the second time, INVAP wins the PALLAS Reactor international tender; the first time being in 2009. Unfortunately, due to the global economic crisis at the time, the project was interrupted by Dutch authorities.

A Need for the European Market

The PALLAS reactor will replace the High Flux Reactor (HFR), in Petten, The Netherlands. The HFR is owned by the European Commission and is operated by the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG). It became operational in 1956 and will be shut down as soon as the PALLAS reactor becomes fully operational. The PALLAS reactor will be built in Petten, a town 60 km northeast from Amsterdam near the coast of the North Sea, landscape of which is characterized by sand dunes and tulip fields.

BUSINESS MODEL

The Importance of Team Playing

Special emphasis is made on the fact that the key to our success is not only INVAP’s exceptional trajectory, but also the essential support of the Argentine Government, local authorities, and the Governor of the Province of Rio Negro, Mr Alberto Weretilneck.

Environmental and safety controls

Environmental Protection

The Netherlands has the strictest environmental and safety controls, in accordance with the European Community’s high standards and regulations. The social license obtained in this country clearly shows the capability and excellence of both INVAP and TBI.

During the fourth edition of the Nuclear Security Summit, INVAP received an award from the US Nuclear Energy Institute on account of its nuclear security achievements. On the other hand, TBI is in compliance with the Rotterdam Climate Initiative (RCI) regulations on the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Reactor’s Key Features

Safety and Innovation

PALLAS reactor will be noted for being safe and innovative. It will be designed to endure extreme and adverse conditions such as earthquakes and aviation crashes. It will also meet IAEA’s guidelines as well as Dutch legal requirements, while implementing PALLAS’s safety, health, environment and quality policy (SHEQ).

Stages

The first stage of the project shall be the reactor’s design. It will be carried out in Bariloche, Argentina and The Netherlands by a team of 130 professionals with wide experience in projects of this kind. The number will increase up to 250 throughout the following stages. During the first stage, the work schedule will be focused on the plant’s proper design in order to satisfy PALLAS Foundation’s ambitious business plan, what will allow the later development of over 40 systems engineering. Safety studies shall also be carried out in order to obtain the construction license granted by the Dutch Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

Nuclear medicine

Radioisotopes and their Multiple Uses in Medicine

The scope of radioisotopes applications in medicine is often unknown. In nuclear medicine, radioisotopes are used either for diagnosis or therapies, 90% being diagnosis.

One of their main advantages is identification of molecular activity in the body, thus avoiding the need for more invasive practices. Besides, they have a great potential to detect quickly and safely diseases at their onset, which often means saving time, thus allowing greater survival chances.

Learn more about INVAP

With Headquarters in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, INVAP boasts a 40-year trajectory in the domestic market and over 30 years in the world market. Its main projects have been developed in the fields of nuclear, aerospace, government and defense, and industrial technology, alternative energy sources, information and communication technology, and technological services. INVAP has designed and constructed research reactors and radioisotope production facilities in different countries, as well as low orbit earth observation satellites and telecommunication satellites, several industrial plants, radar systems, and nuclear medicine centers.