Juragua Nuclear Power Plant

Infobox NPP
Picture=Juragua Nuclear Power Plant.jpg
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Country=Cuba
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Built=1983
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M_Reactor=2
M_Reactor_MW=880
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Type=VVER
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Juragua Nuclear Power Plant was a nuclear power plant under construction in Cuba in 1992 when a suspension of construction was announced following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the termination of Soviet economic aid to Cuba.

History

In 1976 Cuba and the Soviet Union signed an agreement to construct two 440-megawatt nuclear power reactors (417 MW VVER-440 V213) in the south central province of Cienfuegos, near Juragua. Upon completion, the first reactor (Juragua 1), would have generated over 15% of Cuba's energy demands. The construction of these reactors was a priority for Cuba because of its dependence on imported oil. [http://archive.gao.gov/t2pbat1/154849.pdf Nuclear Safety: Concerns with the Nuclear Power Reactors in Cuba. (GAO/T-RCED-95-236, Aug. 1, 1995).] ]

The construction of the reactors began in 1983 and most of the reactor parts, except for civil construction materials, were supplied by the Soviet Union under bilateral economic cooperation agreements. The first reactor was scheduled to be operational in 1993. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union disrupted construction at Juragua, as a market economy established new economic ties and Russia began providing technical assistance to Cuba on a commercial basis. On September 5, 1992, Cuban President Fidel Castro announced a suspension of construction at Juragua due to Cuba's inability to meet the financial terms set by Russia to complete the reactors. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7D61538F934A3575AC0A964958260 Cuba Cancels Atom Plant, Blaming Costs and Russians, September 7, 1992, The New York Times] ] A September 1992 GAO report estimated that civil construction on the first reactor ranged from 90 to 97% complete with only 37% of the reactor equipment installed, while the second reactor was only between 20 and 30% completed.

References

External links

* [http://www.nti.org/db/nisprofs/over/juragua.htm Russia, Cuba, and the Juragua Nuclear Plant - Nuclear Threat Initiative]
* [http://www.american.edu/TED/cubanuke.htm Cuba's Juragua Nuclear Reactors] TED Case Studies, Case Number: 469
* [http://www.cartadecuba.org/juragua_fallout_threat.htm Juragua: Radioactive Falloute Threat - cartadecuba.org]