Construction Agreement Approved For Romania’s Cernavoda-3 and -4

23 Oct (NucNet): A memorandum of understanding between Romanian nuclear power operator SN Nuclearelectrica (SNN) and the China General Nuclear Power Corporation on the development, construction, operation and eventual decommissioning of the planned Cernavoda-3 and -4 units in eastern Romania has been finalised, SNN said in a statement. The agreement was given final approval at an extraordinary general shareholders meeting on 22 October. The Romanian government approved the deal in September. In September 2014, SNN began a competitive selection procedure to find a private investor for the construction of two more reactors at Cernavoda. Cernavoda-1 and Cernavoda-2, both Candu 6 units, are Romania’s only commercially operational nuclear reactors. Cernavoda-1 began commercial operation in December 1996 and Cernavoda-2 in October 2007. In July 2014, reactor manufacturer Candu Energy said the two planned units would also be Candu 6 reactors, nearly identical to the existing units. The company also said it had signed an “exclusive and binding” agreement with China Nuclear Power Engineering Company, a subsidiary of the China General Nuclear Power Group, to cooperate on the construction of Cernavoda-3 and -4.