Government approves issuance of environmental agreement for refurbishment of Unit 1 of Cernavoda

   The Government approved, in Monday's meeting, a decision regarding the issuance of the environmental agreement for the project "Refurbishment of Unit 1 of the Cernavoda NPP and expansion of the Spent Fuel Interim Storage with MACSTOR 400 modules", the holder being the National Company "Nuclearelectrica" SA.According to a Government press release, the regulatory act regulates the issuance of the environmental agreement for the project to refurbish Unit 1 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant and for the expansion of the intermediate spent fuel storage facility.The main purpose of the project is to extend the life of Unit 1 and ensure its safe operation in the long term, within a second operating cycle, the Executive mentions, adding that this investment is aligned with Romania's energy needs, in the context of an expected increase in electricity demand in the medium and long term. In this regard, major investments are needed to reduce the gap between production and demand."The retrofitting project also aims to modernize and improve the equipment of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, in order to increase operational safety, beyond the current minimum requirements," the press release reads.According to the Government, the project includes two subprojects:*** the subproject Refurbishment of Unit 1 of the Cernavod? NPP (RT-U1) which will consist of replacing the components of the reactor assembly, rehabilitating and modernizing the systems in the nuclear and classical parts of the unit and creating the infrastructure necessary for the implementation of the subproject;*** the subproject Expansion of the Spent Fuel Interim Storage with MACSTOR 400 modules which will consist of building and putting into use modules with double the storage capacity compared to those currently used and increasing the current surface area of the storage, in order to ensure the intermediate storage of the spent and cooled fuel that will result from the operation of the U1 and U2 nuclear power units at Cernavoda and in their second operating cycle.According to the Executive, the socio-economic benefits of the project are:* local and regional development through:- creation of direct jobs during the retrofit, but also in the subsequent phases of operation and decommissioning;- generation of indirect jobs through subcontractors and suppliers;- stimulation of the internal supply chain specific to the nuclear sector.* strengthening national capacities in the nuclear field, by involving various engineering branches (technicians, engineers, researchers, etc.);* ensuring centralized heating for over 75% of the population of the city of Cernavoda.During the planned shutdown for refurbishment, Unit 1 will not produce electricity, which will lead to an estimated annual deficit of approximately 5,000 GWh, a quantity that will have to be compensated from other energy sources, the Government informs.