Experience in the nuclear market
INVAP has been involved in nuclear development for over 30 years. In that time its teams have worked on more than 15 nuclear reactors and related facilities across the world.
Sustainable research reactors
Research reactors play a vital role in providing the basic material that enables the implementation of a large branch of medicine known as “nuclear medicine”, in particular more than 45 million Technecium-99m procedures are carried out worldwide using material produced in research reactors. Over 10,000 hospitals worldwide use radioisotopes in medicine, and about 90% of the procedures are for diagnosis. The most common radioisotope used in diagnosis is technetium-99, with some 30 million procedures per year, accounting for 80% of all nuclear medicine procedures worldwide. The use of radiopharmaceuticals in diagnosis is growing at over 10% per year.
INVAP provides “turn key” research reactors and radiochenmichal processing complexes that enable the suppliers of nuclear medicine products to deliver on their commitment to reliable and stringent medical standards. The OPAL reactor in Australia, for example, was designed to maximise radioisotope production volume, alongside with compliance with strict radiosiotope quality specifications.
Integrated design, worldwide scope
Working with renowned architects (Cox-Richardson) to deliver a stunning new research reactor buildings such as OPAL reactor, Sydney, Australia is only part of what INVAP does. The scope of its activities encompasses design services ranging from highly-specialised engineering for nuclear cores, to the assessment of structures when confronted with seismic actions, to the overall management of the design of core arrangements, neutron beam tubes, radiation shields, building services to the reactor protection systems, reactor shutdown and cooling systems and instrumentation and control systems.
Across its wide range of nuclear design and consultancy services, the company demonstrates its understanding of the complex interactions between operators, facilities, stakeholders and the environment. Operational efficiency and safety, operators and environment well-being and security and the stringent regulatory and environmental observance on a worldwide basis is an INVAP goal. INVAP's tradition of total design and its culture of knowledge sharing mean that it works seamlessly for clients across all regions and holistically across design disciplines.
From planning to journey's end
INVAP's involvement in nuclear projects may start with the intricacies of setting out a reactor specification, to core and utilization planning, environmental consultancy or siting studies. For others it provides individual design services such as core reshuffling for Egypt’s ETRR-2 reactor, or nuclear instrumentation refurbishing and modernization for reactors in Romania and Lybia.
Nuclear projects are immensely complex and involve a diverse set of design and construction teams. INVAP is experienced in design team leadership, a capability that has proved highly effective in ensuring on-time on-budget projects for clients such as ANSTO on OPAL reactor, Sydney, Australia. INVAP has the experience and capability to take non-partisan lead over the entire multidisciplinary design team on behalf of the client.