Nuclearelectrica SA will collaborate with Candu Energy Inc. for extending the lifetime of Unit 1 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant until 2060

By RBJ
Nuclearelectrica SA is moving forward with the Project for the refurbishment of Unit 1 of the Cernavoda CNE Nuclear Power Plant. Today it was announced that the Romanian company has selected the company Candu Energy Inc., a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group (TSX: SNC), to carry out additional pre-design work for the CANDU® reactor of Unit 1 at Cernavodă, before the extension of the duration of his life.
Under the two-year agreement, worth approximately 65 million dollars, SNC-Lavalin will perform long-term engineering and front-end engineering services, in order to prepare the future re-engineering project of Cernavoda CNE Unit 1. The retrofit will extend the life of the Unit 1 reactor by another 30 years, until the year 2060.
“The refurbishment of Unit 1 is part of Nuclearelectrica’s commitment to contribute to the re-energization of Romania through clean, low-cost energy and 24/7 availability. We are proud to capitalize on our 26 years of nuclear expertise at the highest safety and productivity standards, to work alongside top international specialists and to complete this strategic project for Romania’s energy security, for decarbonization objectives and for the new generation of specialists”, declares Cosmin Ghiță, CEO of Nuclearelectrica.
Specialized personnel within SNC-Lavalin’s Canadian Nuclear Division will perform the design engineering and procurement work necessary to implement the design changes and recommendations resulting from SNC-Lavalin’s operational status assessment. This was recently carried out together with Ansaldo Nucleare, as part of the re-engineering of Unit 1. In addition, the new infrastructures and buildings that are necessary for the reactor retubing activities will be designed. Also, within the project, SNC-Lavalin will work with Ansaldo Nucleare, which will provide engineering services for the classic part of the plant, continuing the long-term partnership between the companies. Other partner organizations are Sargent and Lundy, CITON and GE (General Electric) Steam Power.
“We are happy to continue the strategic partnership we have with SNC-Lavalin, Ansaldo Nucleare, Sargent and Lundy, CITON and GE (General Electric) Steam Power as leading professionals in the industry, and we are eager to advance the Unit 1 retrofit project of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, which will provide Romania with 30 more years of clean energy in the strip. Moreover, the extension of the life of Unit 1 will continue to bring multiple benefits for Romania: the preservation of high-quality jobs, as well as the creation of new jobs, investments in the community, an important contribution to the local and state budget, as well as projects for the local supply chain, as part of our vision to create a sustainable future for the next generations”, said Cosmin Ghiță, CEO of Nuclearelectrica SA.
SNC-Lavalin is the only organization that has participated in all CANDU reactor life extension projects to date globally.
“Our long-standing work at Cernavoda is an example of how we operationalize our commitment to design a better future for our planet and its people,” commented Ian L. Edwards, president and CEO of SNC-Lavalin. “This life extension will provide many future generations of Romanians with energy security, cost-effective energy and will allow Romania to further benefit from the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by more than 10 million tons per year , which the CANDU reactors from Cernavoda have achieved.”
Starting from the year 2029, through the refurbishment of Unit 1, approximately 5.5 million MWh of clean, accessible energy will be delivered annually to the SEN (National Energy System), and over 5 million tons of CO2 will be avoided annually, for another 30 year old.
Unit 1 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant (CNE), with an installed capacity of 700 MW, was put into operation in 1996 and has delivered, until now, 133 million MWh, representing 9% of national consumption, over a period of 26 years. Unit 1 also prevented the release of 130 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.