ATUCHA II — Argentina

ATUCHA II is a 745 MW nuclear power station in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is operated by NASA. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.7 million homes (estimated). It ranks #19 of 275 Argentina power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2014, it is around 12 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, nuclear supplies about 7.0% of Argentina's electricity; the national grid averages 346 gCO₂/kWh (41.6% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id ARG0000030.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 1,107 MW for Atucha nuclear power plant, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000500166; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

Nuclear plants split uranium to raise steam with no direct CO₂; they run as steady baseload with very high capacity factors and the longest operating lifetimes of any thermal plant.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Share of Argentina nuclear capacity

42.1% of 1,771 MW across 3 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

2 of 3 dated nuclear plants in Argentina are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest nuclear plants in Argentina

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by NASA.

Local climate & thermal context

This nuclear plant uses heat from nuclear fission to raise steam for a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 34.0°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 65% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 25/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #1 largest nuclear power plant of 3 in Argentina by capacity.

Argentina has 3 nuclear power plants in this dataset, together about 1,771 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• ATUCHA I · Nuclear · 370 MW · Buenos Aires
• Las Palmas power station (Argentina) · Gas · 202 MW · Buenos Aires
• Manuel Belgrano II power station · Gas · 810 MW · Buenos Aires
• Manuel Belgrano I power station · Gas · 868 MW · Buenos Aires
• San Pedro power station (Argentina) · Gas · 208.5 MW · Buenos Aires
• Parque Pilar thermal power plant · Gas · 99.6 MW · Buenos Aires

Location

Coordinates -33.9674, -59.2045 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions