Romania’s Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN) has awarded a US$10.8m (€9.7m) contract to Candu Energy, a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin, for engineering analyses and assessments of the 650 MW Cernavoda Unit 1 Candu nuclear reactor, with the objective of extending the lifetime of the plant by another 35,000 hours. Such an extension will allow the Cernavoda Unit 1 to continue operating safely until it is ready for refurbishment in 2026.
Unit 1 was commissioned in December 1996. The second 650 MW Candu unit entered production in 2007. In October 2019, Candu Energy and Ansaldo Nucleare received an engineering services contract to perform condition assessments of the Cernavoda Unit 1 nuclear. The refurbishment project could extend the lifespan of the unit by 30 years.
The country aims to increase its electricity capacity at Cernavoda by adding two Candu reactors rated 720 MW each. Construction was suspended in 1992 and the unfinished units were preserved. In 2015, SNN signed an MoU with China General Nuclear (CGN) to revive the project, whereby CGN will take a 51% stake in the project, which is now estimated to cost up to €7.2bn instead of the original €4bn. Commissioning is expected in 2027 at the earliest.
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