Romania nuclear-power unit connected to national energy system

The first connection to the energy system was made at 25% of the reactor’s 700 MWh nominal power. At the next phase, the reactor’s power is to be gradually raised to 50%, 75% and 100%, with the program of activities approved by the National Commission on the Control of Nuclear Activities to be implemented at each of the percentages. The commercial commissioning of Unit 2 scheduled for the end of this September and the resulting increase in the nuclear energy share to 17-18% of the Romanian energy output will have immediate effects on the energy system’s stability and on keeping the electricity tariffs for the population unchanged. Unit 2 has been built on the basis of a contract on works management signed by Romania with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd and ANSALDO-Italia in 2003. The CANDU 6 reactor that equips Unit 2 is the second of this kind at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant and Unit 1 has been operating successfully since being commissioned in 1996.

The Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant is the first and also the only nuclear-power plant in Romania. The power plant was designed in Canada in the 1980s and the initial plan was to build five units, of which Unit One was finished in 1996 and produces about 10% of the country’s electricity. Units 3 and 4 are in their planning stages. When completed, the four units combined are expected to provide up to 40% of Romania’s total electricity needs. (people.com.cn)