Romanian Ministry of Energy outlines roadmap for strategic cooperation with South Korea - EXCLUSIVE

In an exclusive interview with CE Report, the Romanian Ministry of Energy provided comprehensive details on the ongoing refurbishment of Unit 1 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, following recent discussions between Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and the Speaker of the South Korean National Assembly, Mr. Woo Won-shik.

The Unit 1 Refurbishment Project at Cernavodă NPP is structured in 3 distinct phases:

- Phase 1 (2017 - 2022) was completed in February 2022, when the investment decision in the Refurbishment project of Cernavodă NPP Unit 1, based on the Feasibility Study was approved.

- Phase 2 (2022 - 2026) started in March 2022 and includes the activities of preparing the works identified and defined in the first phase, securing the financial resources, conclusion of the Engineering, Procurement and Construction agreements, procuring the necessary equipment, planning the activities, as well as obtaining all necessary approvals and endorsements.

- Phase 3 (2026 - 2030) will start with the shutdown of Unit 1 and consists of the actual implementation of the Refurbishment Project works, followed by the commissioning of the unit and its trial operation.

"On 19th of December 2024, Nuclearelectrica and an international consortium formed by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, AtkinsRealis's Candu Energy, Canadian Commercial Corporation and Ansaldo Nucleare, signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract to further advance the Project in order to ensure the operation of Unit 1 for an additional 30-year cycle," the statement reads.

The source in the ministry noted that Romania and the Republic of Korea enjoy a very strong cooperation framework, with a Strategic Partnership, a Joint Declaration and a Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening cooperation in the nuclear field. Any new agreements on further strengthening cooperation in nuclear energy will be negotiated and decided based on specific necessities, as they are identified by the Parties.

"Korean companies have a very good reputation in Romania and, as mentioned above, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power is part of an international consortium that signed a contract with Nuclearelectrica for the engineering procurement and construction works necessary for the Unit 1 Refurbishment Project at Cernavodă NPP. We are fortunate to have companies of international renown engaged in this project," the Romanian Ministry of Energy pointed out.

Further incentives or programs to attract additional Korean investment will have to be considered by the appropriate authorities, based on sectoral needs and specific market conditions, the ministry added.

"The Republic of Korea is one of Romania’s key Asian partners, and cooperation between the two countries will certainly develop further, the 2024 Joint Declaration specifically mentioning strategic cooperation in the defence, nuclear energy and infrastructure sectors.

There are a number of joint initiatives currently underway, and both sides expect the shared experience to be a point of strength. We are certain that many other projects will be approached in collaboration, based on the solid cooperation framework between Romania and Korea and positive past experience," the ministry concluded.

This interview was prepared by Abdul Karimkhanov