China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) plans to help Argentina build a fourth nuclear power plant.

Argentina Planning Minister Julio de Vido met with the CNNC head Mao Xiaming to discuss the tender of construction contracts, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Argentina aims to select a contractor for the development of the 1,500MW Atucha 3 power plant later this year.

Potential contenders identified by the government include Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL), Areva, Rosatom and Westinghouse Electric.

Currently, the country has two operating power plants: Atucha I and Embalse, and nuclear power accounts for 6.8% of Argentina’s electric power generation capacity, which is expected to rise to 21% in 2025.