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 professionals and specialists in their field of expertise.
In 2018 the company was avowed as the most important business from Argentina, winning the Diamond Konex Award.
Background INVAP was created on September 1, 1976,Fundaión de INVAP 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
INVAP was the first company in Latin America certified by NASA (the US (National) Aeronautics and Space Administration) to supply space technologies.Company Overview 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.Space Area
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.NASA Aquarius Project 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.Lanzan esta tarde el primer satélite de comunicaciones fabricado en el país - Clarin, 16 October 2014.El Arsat-2 está listo para ser lanzado al espacio - Secretaria de Comunicacion Pubblica, 11 August 2015.
Nuclear projects 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, laser isotope separation, and reactor core reshuffling studies for nuclear power plants.
INVAP has constructed and installed the following nuclear reactors: Country Location Name NotesAlgiersNURSold to Haut Commisariat pour la Recherche of the Algerian government. BarilocheRA-6For CNEA.PilcaniyeuRA-8For CNEA.Lima, ZárateCAREMFor CNEA.SydneyOPALSold to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).CairoETRR-2Sold to the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority.LimaRP-0Provision of nuclear instrumentation to the Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear.HuarangalRP-10Provision of nuclear instrumentation to the Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear.Petten PALLASFor Pallas foundation.
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 PettenArgentina, a un paso de venderle un reactor nuclear a Holanda (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.
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.CITEDEF desarrolla un método láser para descontaminar reactores nucleares
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.
Other projects Civilian
TDA - Design and implementation of the public terrestrial Argentine digital TV project Satellites and space research payload for CONAE Misiones SAC Firman convenios para las contrucción de tres satélites Systems for early detection of forest firesForest Fire Prevention Eleven (plus 11 more in order) 2D radars INKAN ( ) for the Administración Nacional de Aviación Civil (ANAC) the Argentine Civilian Agency in charge of air traffic control LaNacion: Más plata para reequipamiento militar LaNacion:Comprará el Gobierno 11 radares Wind powerDesarrollan el primer molino eólico diseñado en el país LaNacion:Desarrollan el primer molino eólico diseñado en el país Dry-freeze plants, for preservation of fruits and vegetables. Storage solutions for irradiated nuclear fuel from NPP and Research Reactors. Radioisotope processing plants Lancion:Invap vendió a la India un equipo de radioterapia Petrochemical plants. CAREM nuclear reactors for nuclear power generating and to propel future Argentine Nuclear Powered Submarine (SNA). Military Hangar doors for the Argentine Navy destroyer ARA Hercules multirole transport ship Defense and Security Histamar: ARA Hercules FLIR system for Argentine Navy P-3 Orion aircraft Jefatura de Ministros:Memoria 2005 Sonar systems for Argentine Navy destroyers, frigates and future Nuclear Powered submarine. 3D radar prototype plus 6 in order ha encargado la fabricación de seis radares militares que se suman al prototipo que el INVAP for the Argentine Air Force Maritime patrol simulators Simuladores Marítimos para Instrucción y Adiestramiento - MELIPAL Naval electronics and battle management systems for Argentine Navy Meko 360 type destroyers, MEKO 140 type frigates, and TR-1700 submarines. A synthetic aperture radar to replace the Bendix RDR-1500B on the maritime patrol aircraft Beechcraft Super King Air of the Argentine Naval AviationNovo radar argentino em aeronave naval
Gallery
See also CONAE - National space agency ARSAT - Government owned communication company CEATSA - Environmental testing company owned in association with ARSAT.
References
External links Official website Spanish - English La enciclopedia de ciencias y tecnologías en Argentina (Spanish) INVAP - ECyT-ar Retrieved March 11, 2017