Nuclearelectrica shuts down reactor for planned overhaul

Romanian state-owned energy producer Nuclearelectrica will temporarily shut down one of its two reactors at the nuclear power plant in Cernavoda for a scheduled overhaul, the company said in a statement Thursday.

“Unit 1 will enter overhaul starting May 9 2014. The uncoupling from the National Energy System will take place on May 10. Planned overhauls for Units 1 and 2 are part of the maintenance program and need to be run every two years for each unit”, according to a press release.

The company is responsible for 20 percent of national electricity consumption.

Earlier in the week, Nuclearelectrica representatives announced that they will run a “complex investment process” in 2014 that will extend Unit 1’s longevity. The 10-year program will require investments worth EUR 1 – 1.5 billion.

A nuclear reactor with CANDU-6 technology (like the two reactors at Cernavoda) can run for 25-27 years, after which it needs investments to extend its life cycle another 25 years.

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“Unit 1 at Cernavoda (opened in december 1996) is going to be stopped in 2025 – 2026 in order to extend its life cycle another 25 years. It will require 1,5 – 2 years and EUR 1 -1.5 billion”, according to Nuclearelectrica CEO, Daniela Lulache.

The second reactor at Cernavoda started running in 2007.