Case Study: Condenser Retubing Project for Embalse Nuclear Power Plant

• Admiralty Industries executed a nuclear-grade condenser retubing project with full process validation, ensuring consistency across high-volume production.

• A structured approach combining pre-production qualification, controlled manufacturing, and continuous client verification ensured compliance with strict nuclear standards.

• End-to-end traceability and documentation integrity enabled full transparency, supporting inspection, approval, and installation readiness without risk.

Client: Nucleoeléctrica Argentina S.A. (NA-SA)
End User: Embalse Nuclear Power Plant
Industry: Nuclear Power Generation
Location: Embalse, Córdoba, Argentina
Project Scope: Supply of condenser tubes for main condenser retubing
Production Volume: 11,600 tubes
Material: Admiralty Brass (ASTM B111 UNS C44300)
Dimensions: 25.40 mm OD × 1.24 mm min wall × 10,070 mm length

Admiralty Industries was selected to support the supply and execution of condenser tubes for the retubing of the main condenser at the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant, a key nuclear generating facility operated by Nucleoeléctrica Argentina S.A. (NA-SA).

The project involved the production of:

• 11,600 condenser tubes in Admiralty Brass (ASTM B111 UNS C44300),

• 25.40 mm OD × 1.24 mm min wall × 10,070 mm length

Located in the province of Córdoba and in operation since the 1980s, Embalse is a CANDU-type pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) facility designed for long-term, continuous operation, and recently refurbished to extend its operational life for an additional multi-decade cycle.

The scope encompassed the full coordination of manufacturing, quality control, documentation, and delivery readiness of condenser tubes for installation in the plant’s Main Condenser system in preparation for the scheduled maintenance outage.

From the outset, the project was approached with a clear objective:

to ensure full technical compliance, complete traceability, and absolute consistency across all stages of production and documentation.

Given the nature of the end-user, the focus extended beyond manufacturing itself, emphasizing:

• process validation

• documentation integrity

• and alignment with the client’s quality framework

1. Pre-Production Qualification

A dedicated pre-production phase was implemented through the manufacturing of an initial batch of approximately 100 Admiralty brass tubes.

This stage was designed to:

• homologate each manufacturing process step

• validate production parameters

• confirm dimensional, mechanical, and chemical compliance

• align inspection methodologies

All processes were thoroughly reviewed and validated by NA-SA’s engineering and quality personnel, who confirmed full compliance and granted the approval required to proceed with full-scale production.

This phase established a fully controlled and aligned production baseline, ensuring consistency and reliability for subsequent manufacturing.

2. Full Production

Following pre-production approval, full-scale manufacturing was executed under controlled and closely monitored conditions, in full alignment with the validated process parameters established during the qualification stage.

The production sequence covered the complete transformation of raw material through tube drawing, heat treatment, straightening, and dimensional control, followed by non-destructive testing and final mechanical and chemical verification, in accordance with project specifications.

A key focus throughout this phase was the implementation and preservation of full heat traceability, ensuring that each tube could be consistently linked back to its corresponding raw material, processing conditions, and inspection records across all stages of production.

This traceability framework enabled complete transparency and verification of the manufacturing process, supporting both internal quality control and client-side validation requirements.

3. Quality Control & Client Involvement

Throughout the project, NA-SA’s engineering and quality teams maintained active and continuous involvement, ensuring full alignment between production activities and client expectations.

Their participation included the ongoing review of manufacturing records, verification of inspection data, and validation of compliance against the applicable technical specifications, providing an additional layer of oversight throughout the production process.

This level of interaction ensured not only compliance, but also reinforced a high degree of transparency, traceability, and confidence in the final deliverables.

4. Documentation & Dossier Development

A comprehensive and structured documentation system was developed as a core element of the project.

The final dossier included:

• Mill Test Reports (MTRs)

• Individual material certificates (chemical and mechanical)

• Eddy Current Testing reports (external and internal)

• Packing control documentation, including heat traceability summaries per crate

• Detailed manufacturing records

The documentation structure ensured:

• Consistency between original manufacturing records and final documentation
• Structured organization aligned with inspection stages
• Clarity and full traceability across all documentation layers

The complete documentation package was formally reviewed and approved by NA-SA’s Quality Department.

5. Final Inspection, Packing & Readiness

Upon completion of production, all materials underwent final inspection, followed by packing in export-grade, steel-framed wooden crates and labeling with complete traceability information.

A total of 40 crates were prepared, each clearly identifying:

• Heat numbers

• Tube quantities

• Net and gross weights

All packing and marking activities were verified to ensure full compliance with project and export requirements.

The project was executed within a high-specification international supply framework, aligned with the quality, traceability, and documentation standards expected in nuclear industry environments.

Strict coordination was maintained between manufacturing, quality control, and documentation systems, ensuring full consistency and traceability across all stages of production and inspection.

This approach resulted in a coherent, verifiable, and fully compliant final deliverable, meeting the client’s requirements and supporting successful project approval.

Admiralty Industries led the project through an integrated approach, maintaining close coordination with production, continuous quality verification, rigorous documentation control, and direct alignment with client requirements.

Every aspect of the project was structured to be clearly validated, consistently documented, and confidently approved.

• Full production completed successfully

• All processes validated and aligned with client requirements

• Complete documentation dossier delivered and approved

• Materials fully inspected, packed, and ready

The project was completed with full acceptance by Nucleoeléctrica Argentina S.A. (NA-SA), confirming the successful execution of a high-specification industrial supply within a nuclear-grade operating environment.

“Working with Admiralty Industries on the supply and execution of condenser tubes for the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant was a highly constructive and reliable experience. From the outset, the project was approached with a clear commitment to technical compliance and documentation integrity.

The supplier demonstrated professionalism and consistency throughout the entire process. The pre-production qualification phase, involving the initial batch of tubes, was executed with rigor and transparency, allowing all manufacturing steps to be homologated and validated. This stage established a solid baseline that ensured dimensional, mechanical, and chemical compliance, while also aligning inspection methodologies with the client’s quality framework.

During full-scale production, Admiralty Industries maintained strict adherence to validated parameters and specifications. The inspection data, dimensional and mechanical results, and complete heat traceability were consistently verified, reinforcing confidence in the quality of the final deliverables. This alignment between manufacturing activities and client expectations not only supported internal quality control but also met the stringent validation requirements of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina S.A.” 

Julio Sescun – Engineering Department / Ramiro Angeletti – Quality Control Department

This project demonstrates how technical precision, structured process control, and disciplined execution converge to deliver consistent and reliable results, supported by a strong focus on quality, traceability, and coordination.

It stands as a clear example of the successful delivery of a complex industrial project through controlled execution and long-term collaboration.

Take a look at another Case Study by Admiralty Industries: