City, Country
Cernavoda.
Romania
Number & type of Reactors
5x700Mw CANDU 6, (all under construction)
Net Electric Power as % in 92 of national total
3500 MWe
Major population Centers in a 150 km radius and
total estimated population of 150 km r. region
3.5 million on Romanian land alone including Constanta, Mangalia, Braila, Tulcea, Calarasi, Buzau, Galati, Oltenita
Date of commercial operation start up
or (if unfinished) date of construction start.
Planning begun 1979, construction 1984. Fuel has been brought to Reactor 1; proposed start is early 96
Operator/Builder
AECL - Canada, Ansaldo - Italy, RENEL - builders
RENEL - operator; AECL - supplier
This plant is very expensive and completion is quite late. The original contract was signed, and site preparation began, in 1979; construction finally began in 1984. RENEL joined the contract in 1991, taking responsibility for funding (the cost was by then $1 billion). The Export Development Co then loan an additional US$334 million. As of mid-April, $222 million had been drawn. The costs of the first CANDU reactor at Cernavoda reached an estimated $2.2 billion (spring 95). The CANDU 6 design in India had to be closed after 10 years of operation because it had over 250 emergency shutdowns in that period. The first shipment of fuel to Cernavoda had an accident and contaminated a small area.