S N Nuclearelectrica S A : The adoption of the positive opinion of the European Commission on the project of Units 3 and 4 at CNE Cernavoda

The adoption of the positive opinion of the European Commission on the project of Units 3 and 4 at CNE Cernavoda

Press release

Bucharest, July 2, 2024

Nuclearelectrica announces the adoption of the positive opinion of the European Commission on the project of Units 3 and 4 at CNE Cernavodă, on the basis of Article 41 of the Euratom Treaty. The project is managed by the project company Energonuclear, wholly owned by Societatea Națională Nuclearelectrica SA (SNN).

The viewpoint submitted on July 1, 2024 reflects the assessment by the European Commission - Directorate General for Energy, of the technical and nuclear safety aspects of the project. Under the Euratom Treaty, nuclear project developers are required to notify the European Commission of planned investments and to demonstrate compliance with the highest nuclear safety standards. Energonuclear notified the Commission about the Units 3 and 4 project in May 2023.

The opinion received is the result of an elaborate analysis of the information provided by the Romanian side, site visits to the CNE Cernavodă site and technical discussions over a period of 13 months. The Commission's assessment is that the project to complete the construction of Units 3 and 4 at CNE Cernavodă is in line with the objectives of the Euratom Treaty.

This positive view is accompanied by the usual recommendations for such projects, which aim at the appropriate application of the Euratom framework in the implementation and during the lifetime of the project. These recommendations will be implemented by the project developer in the next steps.

"The adoption of the positive view of the European Commission is a confirmation of our commitment to technical excellence and nuclear safety. We are delighted with this significant progress and we are confident that the project of Units 3 and 4 at CNE Cernavodă will make a decisive contribution to Romania's energy security and sustainability. The Nuclearelectrica team is ready to implement the Commission's recommendations and to successfully move forward with the next stages of the project. We also thank the Ministry of Energy for its assiduous efforts to accelerate the Romanian nuclear program, which includes the refurbishment of Unit 1, the design of Units 3 and 4 at CNE Cernavodă and the construction of small modular reactors." said Cosmin Ghita, CEO of Nuclearelectrica.

The positive view communicated to the Romanian side represents an important milestone in the implementation of the project, attesting the compliance of CANDU 6 technology and its implementation at Cernavodă with the EU nuclear safety framework. With 4 nuclear units in operation in Romania, it is expected to avoid the emission of 20 million tons of CO2 per year and to create more than 19,000 jobs in the horizontal industry.