BUENOS AIRES, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Argentina has signed two nuclear power plant construction deals with China for about $15 billion, the Argentine government said in a statement on Sunday, calling the deals “a fundamental step toward diversifying our energy matrix.”

The plants will add 1,750 megawatts to the energy already produced by three nuclear power plants in Argentina.

Mexico, Brazil and Argentina are the three Latin American countries that currently generate nuclear power.

“Between both deals we are talking about financing of close to $15 billion” over 18 years, the Argentine statement said. (Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Editing by Leslie Adler)