The assessment, which comprised an analysis of information received from the nuclear operator, site visits at the Cernavoda NPP, and technical discussions, was carried out over a period of 13 months, Nuclearelectrica said in a press release on Tuesday.
Under the Euratom Treaty, nuclear project developers are required to notify the European Commission of planned investments and to demonstrate compliance with the highest nuclear safety standards.
Alongside the positive opinion, the Commission gave recommendations aimed at the appropriate application of the Euratom framework during the implementation and lifetime of the project.
The completion of the NPP expansion project will lead to the reduction of CO2 emissions by an annual 20 million tonnes and will create over 19,000 jobs in the horizontal industry, according to the statement.
The Cernavoda NPP currently covers around 20% of Romania's electricity needs. Units 1 and 2 have an installed capacity of 700 MW each and are based on the CANDU 6 (Canadian Deuterium Uranium) technology, with natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator and cooling agent. Units 3 and 4 are planned to have a capacity of 720 MW each and will use the same technology.
In February, Italian power engineering company Ansaldo Energia said that its unit Ansaldo Nucleare has agreed to overhaul Unit 1 and help develop two more units at the NPP, backed by up to 2 billion euro in financing from Italian state investment agency SACE.
In the first quarter of 2024, Nuclearelectrica booked a preliminary net profit of 563.3 million lei, down by an annual 26.5%, on total revenues of 1.173 billion lei, it said in an unaudited quarterly financial report issued in May.
The Romanian state, through the ministry of energy, owns an 82.5% stake in Nuclearelectrica, while the remainder is in free float on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. Shares in blue-chip Nuclearelectrica changed hands 0.22% higher at 45.5 lei as at 1134 CET on July 3.
Jul 5, 2024
