Romanian Nuclearelectrica signs EUR 1.9 bln contract for refurbishment of Cernavodă nuclear plant’s Unit 1

Nuclearelectrica, Romania's state-owned nuclear power operator, and an international consortium comprising Candu Energy Inc., an AtkinsRéalis company, Ansaldo Nucleare, Canadian Commercial Corporation, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., have signed an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract for the advancement of Cernavodă nuclear power plant's Unit 1 refurbishment.

The contract's estimated value is EUR 1.9 billion and will come into effect following approval by Nuclearelectrica's General Shareholders Meeting and the Canadian government, the Romanian company said.

The EPC contract includes detailed design and execution plans, procurement of materials and equipment, retubing and refurbishment works, as well as the construction of the necessary infrastructure for the project.

"Romania has taken on the role of regional leader in nuclear energy. We want to be pioneers in the development of small-scale reactors, we have already signed the contract for the feasibility study, we already signed the contract for the construction of reactors 3 and 4 at Cernavodă, and today we have also signed the final contract for the refurbishment of Unit 1 at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, which we will be able to operate for another 30 years," said energy minister Sebastian Burduja.

Cosmin Ghiță, Chief Executive Officer at Nuclearelectrica, commented: "The goal for Cernavodă NPP Unit 1 refurbishment is to ensure the operation of the unit for another life cycle in conditions of safety and economic efficiency. In order to achieve this objective, all the preparation and implementation activities of the U1 Refurbishment Project are carried out according to standards of excellence and the international experience gained from the refurbishment of the other CANDU nuclear units worldwide."

The project is also expected to enhance Romania's nuclear industry by recruiting and training specialized personnel and fostering the development of the nuclear value chain.

(Photo source: Facebook/Nuclearelectrica Oficial)