Recently developed feasibility study concluded that the project is financially sustainable, and an agreement between the Romanian state and Nuclearelectrica, setting out the parties’ responsibilities for providing financing, was required to take the preliminary investment decision, adopt support mechanisms and ensure infrastructure conditions for the completion and operation of the project.
Electricity producer Nuclearelectrica, the operator of Romania’s sole nuclear power plant Cernavoda, has scheduled the next shareholders’ meeting for 4 April, at which they will be asked to approve the company’s plan for the construction of units 3 and 4.
Preliminary works are expected to last between 18 and 24 months and actual construction between 69 and 78 months, with 2030 commissioning for unit 3 and 2031 for unit 4. The project’s cost is estimated at 7 billion euros, slightly lower than the 7.2 billion estimated under the failed partnership with China General Nuclear Power five years earlier.
The company considers that nuclear energy is a sustainable alternative to the development of the national energy sector, given the limited resources of energy raw materials, as well as the need to obtain electricity with no greenhouse gas emissions. The role of nuclear energy is becoming even more evident in meeting ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while ensuring energy security and an affordable price for final consumers, as well as increasing the country’s energy independence.
