Romania is close to signing an agreement with undisclosed "Euro-Atlantic partners" to complete the third and fourth reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, prime minister Ludovic Orban announced on July 23 as he visited the plant.

Romania will invest EUR 8-9 billion to build the two new reactors, which should be ready by 2030, and to reshuffle the first reactor.

"As soon as possible, after we establish a team at government level to explore the best options, we will negotiate and sign agreements to start these fundamental investments for Romania," said the prime minister, Profit.ro reported. 

In late May, the Government instructed Nuclearelectrica to begin talks to terminate the agreement signed with China General Nuclear Power (CGN) for the construction of two reactors at Cernavoda. The agreement with the Chinese, initiated by previous Social Democrat governments, has been criticized by Romania's strategic partners.

Last September, Social Democrat prime minister Viorica Dăncilă and US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry signed in New York a memorandum of understanding between Romania and the United States on strategic nuclear cooperation. The protocol follows the lines drawn by presidents Donald Trump and Klaus Iohannis in the Joint Declaration signed in Washington on August 21, 2019.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Gov.ro)