Nuclearelectrica signs EPC contract for the refurbishment of Cernavoda NPP 1

Nuclearelectrica and the international consortium Candu Energy Inc, Ansaldo Nucleare, Canadian Commercial Corporation and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co signed the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the advancement of Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 refurbishment on December 19, 2024. The contract estimated value is 1.9 billion EUR and its entry into force is conditional upon Nuclearelectrica’s General Meeting of Shareholders approval and the approval of the Canadian Government.

The EPC contract main scope consists of: development of the detailed design and execution details, procurement of equipment and materials, execution of Retubing Works and Refurbishment Works as well as construction of the infrastructure as necessary for the Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 Refurbishment 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. In the last year and a half, we have managed to attract non-reimbursable funding of almost EUR 14 billion and to stick to our motto: investments, investments, investments. I would like to congratulate the management of Nuclearelectrica for the work they have done and for the fact that together we have managed to unblock vital projects for Romania,” said Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy in Romania.

“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 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. This is a key project which will extend U1’s operational life by 30 years to support Romania’s decarbonization goals by avoiding an additional 5 million tons of CO2 emissions annually. We are keen to working with internationally renowned partners which have historically contributed to the current operational performance of Cernavoda Units 1 and 2,” said Cosmin Ghiță, Chief Executive Officer, Nuclearelectrica.