INVAP

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INVAP
Company typeGovernment owned corporation
IndustryAerospace, nuclear energy, communications, defence
FoundedSeptember 1, 1976; 47 years ago (September 1, 1976)
Headquarters,
Key people
Hugo Albani (President)
OwnerRío Negro Province government
SubsidiariesBlack River Technology
Websiteinvap.com.ar

INVAP S.E. is an Argentine company that provides design, integration, construction and delivery of equipment, plants and devices. The company operates in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and delivers projects for nuclear, aerospace, chemical, medical, petroleum and governmental sectors.

The company is an unlisted private company, the sole owner being the Province of Río Negro. Its headquarters is in San Carlos de Bariloche. As of 2023, INVAP employs some 1,700 employees, 80% of which are highly trained professionals and specialists in their field of expertise.[1]

In 2018 the company was avowed as the most important business from Argentina, winning the Diamond Konex Award.

Background[edit]

INVAP was created on September 1, 1976,[2] as a spin-off of the Argentine Atomic Energy Commission, research laboratories division. The name INVAP is a portmanteau of the words investigación aplicada ("applied research" in Spanish).

Satellites[edit]

SAC-A satellite in space

INVAP was the first company in Latin America certified by NASA (the US (National) Aeronautics and Space Administration) to supply space technologies.[1] It constructs satellites, payloads, and ground stations, including the SAC ("Satelites de Aplicación Científica") satellite family, developed for the Argentine space agency CONAE. INVAP was the first company in Latin America to provide design, development, mission control and operational support.[3]

The SAC-D was put into orbit on June 9, 2011, carrying several scientific payloads, including NASA's $100 million Aquarius project, which will measure the oceans' salinity.[4] ARSAT-1 - the first communications satellite entirely built in Argentina - was launched in 2014, while a second satellite in the series, ARSAT-2 was launched in September 2015.[5][6]

Nuclear projects[edit]

In the field of nuclear projects, the company specializes in the design and construction of nuclear research reactors, radioisotope production plants, nuclear fuel manufacturing plants, uranium enrichment facilities, neutron beam transport systems, radiation protection instrumentation, reactor protection systems, and modernization and refurbishment of research reactors. INVAP also conducts consultancy and research activities for nuclear power plant suppliers in areas such as nuclear reactor fuels, isotope separation by lasers and reactor core reshuffling studies for nuclear power plants.

INVAP has constructed and installed the following nuclear reactors:

Country Location Name Notes
 Algeria Algiers NUR Sold to Haut Commisariat pour la Recherche of the Algerian government.
 Argentina Bariloche RA-6 For CNEA.
Pilcaniyeu RA-8 For CNEA.
Lima, Zárate[7] CAREM For CNEA.
 Australia Sydney OPAL Sold to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).
 Egypt Cairo ETRR-2 Sold to the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority.
 Peru Lima RP-0 Provision of nuclear instrumentation to the Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear.
Huarangal RP-10 Provision of nuclear instrumentation to the Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear.
 Netherlands Petten[8] PALLAS For Pallas foundation.[8]

In 2009, INVAP and the Spanish group Isolux were pre-selected in an international tender, known as the PALLAS project. This entailed the procurement of an 80 MW nuclear reactor for the Dutch city of Petten[9] (see Petten nuclear reactor), but in February 2010, the Dutch radiopharmaceutical producer Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) extended the preparatory phase up to end of the year for financing.[10]

In 2010, INVAP and CITEDEF completed the development and readied for testing a method that used a laser to remove the radioactive components from heavy water which is used to cool nuclear reactors.[11]

On the 24th of January, 2018, INVAP won the international tender for a nuclear research reactor and radioisotope production facility for medical uses in The Netherlands.[12]

Other projects[edit]

Civilian
Radar Inkan at Quilmes
  • TDA - Design and implementation of the public terrestrial Argentine digital TV project[13]
  • Satellites and space research payload for CONAE[14]
  • Systems for early detection of forest fires[15]
  • Eleven (plus 11 more in order) 2D radars INKAN ( Spanish: Radar Secundario Monopulso Argentino, RSMA ) for the Administración Nacional de Aviación Civil (ANAC) the Argentine Civilian Agency in charge of air traffic control [16][17]
  • Wind power[18][19]
  • Dry-freeze plants, for preservation of fruits and vegetables.
  • Storage solutions for irradiated nuclear fuel from NPP and Research Reactors.
  • Radioisotope processing plants [20][21][22][23]
  • Petrochemical plants.
  • CAREM nuclear reactors for nuclear power generating and to propel future Argentine Nuclear Powered Submarine (SNA).
Military

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

  • CONAE - National space agency
  • ARSAT - Government owned communication company
  • CEATSA - Environmental testing company owned in association with ARSAT.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Company Overview Archived December 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Fundaión de INVAP (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Space Area Archived 2007-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ NASA Aquarius Project Archived 2007-11-17 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Lanzan esta tarde el primer satélite de comunicaciones fabricado en el país - Clarin, 16 October 2014.
  6. ^ El Arsat-2 está listo para ser lanzado al espacio Archived 2015-08-15 at the Wayback Machine - Secretaria de Comunicacion Pubblica, 11 August 2015.
  7. ^ Domingo (30 May 2010). "El Plan Nuclear Argentino coloca a Formosa en destacado lugar frente a la construcción del CAREM". El Comercial.com.ar (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  8. ^ a b "PALLAS-INVAP". INVAP. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  9. ^ Argentina, a un paso de venderle un reactor nuclear a Holanda
  10. ^ "Home".
  11. ^ CITEDEF desarrolla un método láser para descontaminar reactores nucleares
  12. ^ "Macri anunció la construcción de un reactor nuclear en Holanda" (in Spanish). Radio Mitre. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  13. ^ "ESTADO DE LAS ESTACIONES". Digital Television Abierta. Archived from the original on 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  14. ^ Misiones SAC Archived 2007-02-25 at the Wayback Machine Firman convenios para las contrucción de tres satélites
  15. ^ Forest Fire Prevention Archived 2006-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ LaNacion: Más plata para reequipamiento militar LaNacion:Comprará el Gobierno 11 radares (in Spanish)
  17. ^ "En materia de seguridad aérea, Invap construyó 11 modelos del Radar Secundario Monopulso Argentino (RSMA) del plan de radarización que se impulsó en 2005, con una inversión cercana a los 100 millones de pesos, ... Invap desarrollará 11 radares más para completar el control aéreo nacional hacia el noreste y sur del país, con una inversión de 126 millones de pesos y un plazo de instalación hacia fines de 2011.". Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  18. ^ "Wind Power". Archived from the original on 2006-09-25. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
  19. ^ http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1024482 Archived 2010-12-15 at the Wayback Machine LaNacion:Desarrollan el primer molino eólico diseñado en el país
  20. ^ [1] Lancion:Invap vendió a la India un equipo de radioterapia
  21. ^ "Medical Equipment". Archived from the original on 2007-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
  22. ^ LaNacion:Por primera vez se vendió a Brasil un equipo argentino de radioterapia
  23. ^ LaNacion: Venden alta tecnología por US$ 100 millones a Venezuela
  24. ^ ARA Hercules multirole transport ship Archived 2006-09-25 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish) Defense and Security Archived 2007-02-09 at the Wayback Machine (in English)
  25. ^ Histamar: ARA Hercules
  26. ^ Jefatura de Ministros:Memoria 2005 [permanent dead link]
  27. ^ "Diseñan un radar tridimensional para detectar vuelos clandestinos". Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  28. ^ ha encargado la fabricación de seis radares militares que se suman al prototipo que el INVAP Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ Simuladores Marítimos para Instrucción y Adiestramiento - MELIPAL Archived 2007-02-14 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
  30. ^ LaNacion:Simulador de navegación para los mares argentinos
  31. ^ Novo radar argentino em aeronave naval Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine

External links[edit]