Canada’s L-3 Mapps has been awarded a contract to upgrade the full scope simulator for Argentina’s Embalse NPP by nuclear utility Nucleoeléctrica Argentina SA (NA-SA).
Embalse is a single unit Canadian-built Candu unit, which also produces cobalt-60 radioisotopes for medical and industrial applications. NA-SA and L-3 Mapps put the simulator into service in 2013. The upgraded simulator is expected to return to service in late 2016.
"The simulator plays a key role in the ongoing training of our operators and will continue to be important as we extend the life of the plant for another 30 years," said Embalse life- extension project director Rubén Semmoloni.
L-3 Mapps said the upgrade will take account of design changes, including updates to the shutdown control systems, introduction of larger emergency diesel generators, improvements to the emergency core cooling system, addition of a new turbine control system, and a power uprate involving several thermal-hydraulic systems to increase the gross capacity of the plant from 648MWe to 683MWe.
