The Romanian government has approved the Integrated National Plan for Energy and Climate Change. This plan foresees two additional CANDU reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant that would enter commercial operations in 2030 and 2031, and the refurbishment of the existing reactors Cernavoda 1 in 2027-2028 and Cernavoda-2 after 2037 to extend their operating life by 30 years. In addition, the plans include 6.9 GW of renewable capacity by 2030.
Romania aims to add two 720 MW reactors at its Cernavoda nuclear power plant, which consists of two 650 MW CANDU reactors. Construction was suspended in 1992 and the unfinished units were preserved. Romania initially planned to build the expansion project with 6 European companies, which withdrew between 2010 and 2013. In 2015, Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN, 82.5% state-owned) signed an MoU with China General Nuclear (CGN) to revive the project and in 2019 the companies signed a preliminary agreement whereby CGN would take a 51% stake in the project. In January 2020, the Romanian government announced that it would award the contract for Cernavoda Units 3 and 4 to companies from NATO and EU member countries and in June 2020, Nuclearelectrica terminated all deals and negotiations with CGN. In October 2020, Romania and the United States agreed to cooperate for the construction of Units 3 and 4 and the refurbishment of Unit 1 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, and the agreement was approved by the Romanian parliament in June 2021.
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