Nuclearelectrica and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) have held a ceremony to mark the start of work on what will become Europe's first tritium removal facility, at Romania's Cernavoda nuclear power plant, https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/ reads. As a Candu pressurised heavy water reactor ages, tritium - an isotope of hydrogen - accumulates in its moderator and heat transport systems. Increased levels of tritium can significantly contribute to personnel dose rates and emissions levels in the environment. Tritium removal technology is designed to capture and process tritium so that it can be properly stored and recycled, thereby reducing environmental impact, personnel exposure levels and enhancing workplace safety. The Cernavoda tritium removal facility - the world's third, and the first in Europe - will use technology developed by the Romanian National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies, a scientific research and technological development unit under the coordination of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalisation. The tritium removal facility will include several high-technology areas: liquid phase isotopic separation, cryogenic distillation and high-vacuum operation. The tritium extracted will be stored in secure and safe specialised containers ready for future uses - which could include fuel for future fusion reactors. In June 2023 KHNP signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract worth KRW260 billion (USD200 million) with Nuclearelectrica for the new facility following a public procurement process. And in January 2024 Nuclearelectrica secured a loan agreement of EUR145 million (USD159 million) with the European Investment Bank towards the project, which has a completion timeline estimated to be 50 months. Cosmin Ghita, CEO of Nuclearelectrica, said: "We are pleased to implement an innovative Romanian technology together with KHNP, a leading nuclear expert, to achieve a safe and reliable project. The tritium removal facility demonstrates Nuclearelectrica’s commitment to safe operations and environmental protection. This project underlines Romania’s leading role in the nuclear industry and contributes to national energy security." Jooho Whang, CEO of KHNP, said: "The groundbreaking ceremony ... is a very important milestone which signifies the execution of the project in earnest ... the facility will enhance environmental protection, while contributing to safe operation of the Cernavoda NPP and economic growth of the country as well. Going forward, I expect the nuclear industries between Romania and South Korea will have closer and stronger collaboration." Cernavoda is the only nuclear power plant in Romania and consists of two 650 MWe Candu-6 reactors. Unit 1 went into commercial operation in 1996 and unit 2 in 2007. Nuclearelectrica plans to extend the operating life of unit 1 to 60 years. Tritium removal facilities are already in operation at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington plant and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power's Wolsong plant, both home to Candu reactors.
Romania’s government has assumed responsibility in Parliament for legislation reforming magistrates’ pensions, prime minister Ilie Bolojan announced on December 2. He said the draft law had received the opinion of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, noting that the court’s assessment was negative. It is the government’s second attempt to have the bill promulgated, […]
Romania Education Alliance (REA), the first private school network in the country, announced it has exceeded the milestone of 1,000 students enrolled across its member schools just one year after launch. "The fact that we surpassed 1,000 students in our very first year of activity shows that the REA model addresses a real need in […]
Genesis College, one of the largest private educational institutions in Romania, announced the regulatory approval of the transaction through which the investment firm Mozaik Investments becomes its majority shareholder. The transaction, signed at the end of July, received all necessary approvals from the Competition Council on November 25, and, formally, the entire investment procedure is […]
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending up to EUR 29.9 million to the Romanian city of Brasov to finance energy efficiency upgrades in public buildings, initiating the city’s participation in the Bank’s flagship EBRD Green Cities programme. The Bank’s investment will fund the renovation of up to 20 public buildings, including […]
This festive season, JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel invites guests to embrace the extraordinary and transform each moment into a lasting memory. On New Year’s Eve, the hotel unveils The Grand Countdown — a luminous celebration of new beginnings, thoughtfully crafted across four distinctive venues, each with its own character and atmosphere. The night begins […]
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control over ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Iași (AMTP Iași) by Metinvest B.V. of the Netherlands, part of the Ukrainian steel and mining group owned by Rinat Akhmetov, New Voice of Ukraine reported last week. Metinvest has...
