The Romanian government has adopted an integrated energy plan that calls for two new CANDU reactors at Cernavoda by 2031 and the refurbishment of an existing unit there in 2037. It would double the country's nuclear power supply in a decade.

Romania and Canada have agreed to strengthen cooperation in nuclear energy in a key move enabling the completion, refurbishment and possible expansion of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Bucharest yesterday follows similar agreements with the USA and France.

Romania and the USA have started cooperation work towards the expansion and modernisation of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. A working meeting last week followed a series of strategic agreements by Romania.

The Romanian Senate, the upper house of the country's parliament, has ratified an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation to expand and modernise Romania's nuclear power programme that was signed between Romania and the USA in October 2020. Areas for cooperation could include the completion of units 3 and 4 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant and the refurbishment of unit 1 at the plant.

Cosmin Ghită, CEO of Romanian utility Nuclearelectrica, says a final investment decision for the Cernavoda nuclear power plant expansion project is expected in 2024, with commissioning of unit 3 planned within the next 10 years. According to Agerpres, Ghită told a conference on 23 February that Nuclearelectrica will present a proposal to start the project at its next annual general meeting of shareholders.

Romanian national nuclear company Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica has been awarded a non-refundable grant of USD1.28 million by the US Trade and Development Agency for use in the identification of potential sites in Romania to host small modular reactors. The USTDA is an independent federal government agency focused on connecting US companies with export opportunities in emerging markets.

France and Romania have signed a declaration of intent on cooperation in the civil nuclear field, which aims, among other things, to work "with strategic partners" to build units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant and to upgrade unit 1. The document was signed yesterday by French Prime Minister Jean Castex and his Romanian counterpart Ludovic Orban, who led a delegation of his ministers to Paris.

A draft intergovernmental agreement on cooperation to expand and modernise Romania's nuclear power programme has been signed between Romania and the USA. Areas for cooperation could include the completion of units 3 and 4 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant and the refurbishment of unit 1 at the plant.

Romania has launched a tender for a new feasibility study to complete units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant for which it is prepared to pay up to RON1 million (USD245,000). There is also the option of a single unit being put up for auction, according to a report by Economica.Net.

Romania plans to create a Strategic Coordination Committee for the project to build units 3 and 4 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, according to a notice in the government’s official gazette on 14 July. The notice followed another published the same day, stating that the prime minister's 2018 decision to establish a working group for the negotiation of a draft intergovernmental agreement between Romania and China for the project had been abrogated.

Romania must recover around EUR13 million (USD14 million) of rescue funding from uranium company Compania Națională a Uraniului SA after the European Commission found a restructuring plan for the company did not meet European Union rules on state aid.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has completed a review of long-term operational safety at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant in Romania. The Pre-SALTO (Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation) review mission was requested by the plant’s operator, Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica SA.