The investment projects that are part of the Romanian nuclear programme are essential to ensure Romania's energy security, Energy Minister Dumitru Chisalita said on Friday, on a working visit to the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant.

'The investment projects that are part of Romania's nuclear programme are essential to ensuring Romania's energy security. As minister of energy, I am permanently concerned with the timely meeting the commitments on schedule, and I will do all the necessary diligence to boost the pace of implementation. At the same time, the cooperation and synergies between the Romanian nuclear operator and all the parties involved are essential factors for the success of these projects. My expectations are that all the parties involved will meet the agreed deadlines and accelerate the execution of the projects. Any delay can affect the country's energy security and generate major costs for consumers,' Chisalita is quoted as saying in a Ministry of Energy press release.

The minister discussed with representatives of the National Corporation Nuclearelectrica S.A. (SNN) the context of the plant, resulting from the climatic conditions, and its investment projects.

During the visit, the Chisalita met Hur Seung-chul, Korea's ambassador to Romania; Laurentiu Cazan, chairman of the Board of Directors of Nuclearelectrica, and Mihai Laurentiu Gioars, general manager of SNN. Discussions focused on the latest developments in the refurbishment project of Unit 1 of Cernavoda NPP, with emphasis on the development of infrastructure works, the degree of compliance with the schedule, the variations recorded and the measures necessary to accelerate the implementation.

Also, during the visit, the Cernavoda Tritium Removal Facility (CTRF) project was addressed. This is the first installation of its kind in Europe, which will contribute, by removing tritium from heavy water, to the protection of the environment and the specialists working on the Cernavoda NPP site. Both projects have implementation plans with measures to monitor progress and identify the necessary solutions, with the final objective being their progress.

The refurbishment of Unit 1 is planned to extend the plan's operating life by another 30 years. The planned shutdown for the works is scheduled for 2027-2030, during which time approximately 700 MW of nuclear capacity will not be available. Therefore, the advance preparation and coordination of the works are essential both for the realisation of the project and for the planning of the operation of the National Electricity System (SEN).

'The refurbishment of Unit 1, the company's most important project, will extend the operation of the unit for another 30 years, being essential for the stability of the National Energy System. The tritium removal facility rounds up this effort, strengthening the level of nuclear safety and protection of staff and the environment. Accelerating these projects and keeping them as a strategic priority guarantees Romania safe, clean and reliable nuclear energy for the coming decades. Nuclearelectrica remains fully committed to ensuring the country's energy security,' said Gioara.

In the discussions with the SNN management, the stage of the project of Units 3 and 4 in Cernavoda, which is at the preparation stage for construction, was also analysed. According to the work calendar, the start of the works is scheduled for 2027.

Amid the preparation for the winer season and the low levels of the Danube, the minister analysed together with the SNN representatives the situation of Units 1 and 2, which, at the moment, are kept in a safe shutdown state, in accordance with the nuclear safety norms and standards.

On the evening of October 28, the National Emergency Management Committee extended the state of alert by 30 days, correlated with the current situation of the National Electricity Grid and considering the risk that the power and energy reserves will not be sufficient to balance the grid at peak hours.

The Ministry of Energy has prepared, in coordination with the National Energy Dispatch (DEN), a draft of the winter schedule for November 1, 2026-March 31, 2027, based on the assessment of consumption and available energy resources. DEN monitors the balance between production and consumption, and Transelectrica arranges, depending on the operational situation, the necessary measures, including increasing production from available sources, ensuring imports or reducing consumption.

The Ministry of Energy permanently monitors the evolution of strategic projects and coordinates the necessary measures to ensure the adequacy and safe operation of the grid. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Cristian Anghelache; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)