Romanian state-owned nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica has signed a €1.9 billion ($1.97 billion) engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to extend the life of Unit 1 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant.
The contract was awarded to a consortium consisting of Ansaldo Nucleare, Candu Energy, AtkinsRéalis, Canadian Commercial Corporation, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP).
Pending approval from the Canadian government and Nuclearelectrica shareholders, the project will focus on retubing and refurbishing the reactor.
The main scope includes detailed design and execution plans, procurement of materials, retubing of fuel channels, and construction of infrastructure.
The refurbishment aims to extend Unit 1’s operational life until 2054, ensuring the unit’s safe operation for another lifecycle.
AtkinsRéalis will manage engineering and procurement, particularly for modifications to the nuclear steam plant. KHNP will collaborate with South Korean firms to execute the contract.
This project is crucial for Romania’s decarbonisation goals, helping to prevent 5 million tons of CO₂ emissions annually.
Nuclearelectrica plans to continue expanding its nuclear capacity with additional reactors and a small modular reactor using technology from US company NuScale Power.