Cernavoda Units 1 and 2
Cernavoda, Romania
The Cernavoda Unit 1 nuclear power plant—the first CANDU in Europe—provides about 10% of Romania’s electricity requirements, saving millions of dollars in oil imports.

AECL supplied the CANDU nuclear steam plant design for Cernavoda Unit 1 and with an Italian partner, ANSALDO, also provided overall project management. The owner and operator is the Romanian nuclear state utility, Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN, one of the successors of RENEL).

AECL and ANSALDO operated the reactor for the first six months after its commissioning—to ensure that operating procedures were well established. It also provided formal and on-the-job training for the Romanian personnel who now operate the reactor. Almost 100 Romanian operating staff and nuclear safety inspectors from Cernavoda Unit 1 participated in on-the-job training at the Point Lepreau and Gentilly CANDU nuclear power plants in Canada. Cernavoda Unit 1 has been operating under Romanian management since July 1, 1997, and completed its first year of operation with a capacity factor of 87.3%.

AECL also transferred its CANDU fuel and heavy water technology to Romania, so it could manufacture fuel bundles and heavy water for the moderator and coolant locally.

Romania realizes an annual savings equivalent to USD $100 million by using nuclear generated electricity instead of fossil fuel. And because a nuclear plant does not emit greenhouse gases that contribute to acid rain and global warming, Unit 1 has avoided the release of more than four million tonnes per year of carbon dioxide (CO₂) that would have been produced had a fossil fuel plant been built instead.

The European Union’s second CANDU nuclear power plant, Unit 2, was officially placed in service on Friday, October 5, 2007 during ceremonies attended by, among others, Romanian Prime Minister Călin Popescu – Tăriceanu and senior officials from AECL. Together with Unit 1, the CNE-Cernavoda Station is the largest power producer in the country.

The AECL-Ansaldo Nuclear consortium, along with SNN, was contracted in 2003 to manage the construction of the partially completed Unit 2 power plant and to commission it into service. 

Its successful completion can be attributed to the excellent performance of the AECL-led project management team and a strong partnership with customer SNN. It also demonstrates the readiness of the CANDU supply chain for on time delivery of materials and services.

Cernavoda 2 is destined to join Cernavoda 1 as a world class performing nuclear plant. Together with Unit 2, nuclear power now accounts for about 20 per cent of Romania’s energy supply and significantly reduces its dependency on expensive energy resources from outside of Europe.

Canada’s CANDU technology has contributed to Romania’s healthy nuclear industry, and has proven to be an important economic asset for the country. CANDU technology also enhances energy self-sufficiency as both nuclear fuel and heavy water are produced by Romania.

Cernavoda Major Project Milestones