This image, provided by South Korea’s state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. on Sept. 4, 2025, shows a groundbreaking ceremony at Romania’s Cernavoda nuclear power plant.(Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — A global consortium led by South Korea’s state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) has launched a large-scale project to refurbish an aging nuclear reactor at Romania’s Cernavoda power plant, KHNP said Thursday.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place Wednesday (local time) to mark the start of the project, valued at approximately 2.8 trillion won (US$2.01 billion). Of the total, KHNP’s contract share amounts to about 1.2 trillion won.
Located about 170 kilometers east of the Romanian capital, the unit 1 reactor, with a capacity of 700 megawatts, has operated since 1996, and its 30-year license is set to expire in 2027. The Romanian government has sought to extend the unit’s operation for another 30 years.
The refurbishment project, which is scheduled to take about 65 months, involves the complete replacement of the reactor systems and power-generating turbines, as well as the construction of new infrastructure, such as radioactive waste storage facilities.
KHNP described the overhaul as equivalent to a full-scale rebuild, leaving only the building’s structural frame intact.
KHNP will oversee the infrastructure construction, including facilities for radioactive waste. Four other South Korean firms — KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering Co., Doosan Enerbility Co., Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. and Samsung C&T Corp. — will participate as project partners.
If completed as scheduled by 2030, the refurbishment is expected to enhance the stability of Romania’s power supply and strengthen the country’s energy security, KHNP said.
(Yonhap)
