June 28 (SeeNews) - Nuclearelectrica, the operator of Romania's sole nuclear power plant (NPP) Cernavoda, said that it has signed a contract with Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Corporation (KHNP) for the construction of a tritium removal facility.
The unit will be located at the Cernavoda NPP and will be the world's third and Europe's first tritium removal facility, Nuclearelectrica said in a press release on Tuesday. It will allow Romania to become a European hub for the production and export of tritium, Nuclearelectrica added.
The value of the contract is of 260 billion won ($198.5 million/181.3 million euro), according to Korean news outlet Business Korea.
The project's duration is estimated at 50 months.
"Our goal, through investment projects, technological progress and international cooperation, is to give Romania a leading role in the nuclear industry and to support its energy security," said Cosmin Ghita, general director of Nuclearelectrica.
KHNP has a portfolio of 25 nuclear plants, 21 hydro plants, 16 small hydro plants, 16 pumped storage plants, 55 solar plants and one wind farm.
Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen and is produced as a byproduct of heavy water reactors, such as the CANDU reactor at Cernavoda.
The Cernavoda plant, located in southeastern Romania, has two reactors of 700 megawatts each, which meet roughly a fifth of the country's electricity needs.
Nuclearelectrica shares traded 0.45% lower at 44.7 lei ($9.87/9.01 euro) by 1102 CET on Wednesday on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.
(1 euro=1,434 Korean won)
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