U.S. replaces China on Romania’s Cernavoda projectNuclear NewsPower & OperationsOctober 12, 2020, 3:00PM|Nuclear News StaffBrouillettePopescuU.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette and Romania’s Minister of Economy, Energy, and Business Development Virgil Popescu initialed a draft intergovernmental agreement on October 9 to cooperate on the construction of two additional reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, as well as the refurbishment of Unit 1.According to a Department of Energy news release, the agreement, once formally executed, will “lay the foundation” for Romania to “utilize U.S. expertise and technology.” The deal marks a major change in Romania’s plans for its sole nuclear plant, as up until early this year the source for that expertise and technology was expected to be China.Quotes: “Nuclear energy is crucial to ensuring Romania has a reliable, affordable, and emissions-free supply of electricity, and the U.S. nuclear industry looks forward to providing their expertise to advance this important energy source,” said Brouillette. “This agreement between the U.S. and Romania furthers our mutual energy cooperation and will strengthen the energy security of both our nations.”Added Popescu, “Today, Romania is taking a huge step forward in the development of its strategic partnership with the United States of America in terms of the energy component, namely cooperation in the civil nuclear field.”Context: The Cernavoda plant, located in southeastern Romania, consists of twin 650-MWe CANDU-6 pressurized heavy-water reactors, Units 1 and 2. The plant’s operator, state-owned Nuclearelectrica, signed a memorandum of understanding with China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) in November 2015 for the development, construction, operation, and decommissioning of two additional reactors, Units 3 and 4, and in May 2019 the two parties signed a preliminary agreement to that end.In August 2019, however, just days after the United States blacklisted CGN over the alleged theft of U.S. nuclear technology for military purposes, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and President Donald Trump signed a joint declaration that stated, in part, “The United States and Romania will consider how best to improve the energy investment climate in Romania in ways that benefit both countries. We further urge our industries to work closely together to support Romania’s civil nuclear energy goals.”That declaration was followed in September 2019 by a U.S.-Romania MOU on strategic civilian nuclear cooperation. Then, in January of this year, Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban announced that the deal with CGN would be canceled, saying, “it is clear to me that the partnership with the Chinese company is not going to work.”Romania officially canceled the agreement with CGN in June.Export-Import Bank Chairman Kimberly Reed (right) and Romanian Minister for Economy, Energy, and Business Climate Virgil Popescu sign the MOU at Ex-Im’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.A second signing: Also on October 9, Popescu and U.S. Export-Import Bank President and Chairman Kimberly A. Reed signed an MOU to explore and identify options to use Ex-Im financing of up to $7 billion and to promote business development opportunities.Quote: “This agreement confirms our desire to identify potential projects in Romania for which products and services of American origin or manufacture will be procured,” said Reed. “We recognize each other’s interests and we acknowledge that increased cooperation serves our common objectives. We intend to work together to promote business development opportunities in the fields of energy and infrastructure, and I look forward to an even more fruitful friendship between America and Romania as the Romanian people gain greater access to more high-quality ‘Made in the USA’ goods and services.”Tags:brouillettecanducernavodacgnexport-import banknuclearelectricaphwrromaniaShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
U.S. boosts SMR development in RomaniaU.S. ambassador to Romania Adrian Zuckerman (right) and SNN chief executive officer Cosmin Ghita at the January signing. Photo: U.S. Embassy in RomaniaThe U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has awarded a grant worth an undisclosed amount to Romania’s nuclear energy authority, Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN), for technical assistance to support the development of small modular reactors in that country, the agency announced on January 14.The grant will be used to identify a short list of SMR-suitable sites, assess SMR technology options, and develop site-specific licensing roadmaps. SNN has selected Chicago-based Sargent & Lundy to carry out the assistance.Go to Article
Ex-Im Bank, Poland sign MOU on U.S. energy investmentPolish Minister of Climate and Environment Michał Kurtyka (left) and Ex-Im Chairman Kimberly Reed sign an MOU on U.S. energy investment in Poland on December 11. Photo: EXIMIn another sign of U.S. interest in helping Poland develop a civil nuclear power program, the Export-Import Bank of the United States announced last week that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Polish government to promote U.S. energy investment in the Central European nation. (For an earlier agreement, see here.)The MOU was signed in Warsaw on December 11 by Ex-Im president and chairman, Kimberly A. Reed, and Poland’s minister of climate and environment, Michał Kurtyka, during Reed’s three-day visit to Poland.The Ex-Im: As the official export credit agency of the United States, Ex-Im provides loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to foreign customers purchasing U.S. exports.The MOU particulars: The MOU calls for Ex-Im and Poland to “explore and identify potential opportunities for Ex-Im financing and to work together to promote business development opportunities related to strategic energy projects and programs,” according to Ex-Im’s announcement. The agreement includes, but is not limited to, support for projects in nuclear energy, in particular in support of strategic projects under Poland’s nuclear power program, low- and zero-emission technologies, clean energy innovation, and critical energy infrastructure, including cybersecurity solutions.Go to Article
DOE moves to strengthen domestic supply chain of critical mineralsThe Department of Energy has issued new guidance for applicants to its Loan Programs Office (LPO), stating a preference for projects related to critical minerals. The guidance, a notice for which was published in the December 1 Federal Register, aims to boost the domestic supply chain of critical minerals in support of two of President Trump’s executive orders: the September 2020 order regarding the nation’s reliance on foreign sources for critical minerals, and the December 2017 order regarding the implementation of a federal strategy to ensure a domestic supply of those minerals.Go to Article
Gordon-Hagerty resigns as NNSA administratorLisa E. Gordon-Hagerty has resigned as administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration and undersecretary of energy for nuclear security, the Department of Energy announced on November 6. William Bookless, who had been serving as NNSA principal deputy administrator for the past year-and-a-half, was named as acting administrator. Bookless spent more than three decades as a senior physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory prior to joining the NNSA.Go to Article
U.S., Bulgaria ink civil nuclear MOUBulgaria’s Kozloduy nuclear plant. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Gogo89873The United States in the past few weeks has signed civil nuclear agreements with Romania and Poland, and now a third European nation can be added to the list: Bulgaria.Go to Article
NEI to help regenerate Romania’s nuclear sectorChiricaThe Nuclear Energy Institute and the Romanian Atomic Forum (Romatom) have signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in civil applications of nuclear energy, according to Romatom on October 14.The MOU was signed less than a week after the United States and Romania initialed a draft intergovernmental agreement for cooperation on the construction of two additional reactors at Romania’s Cernavoda nuclear power plant and the refurbishment of Unit 1. Cernavoda currently houses two operating reactors—Units 1 and 2, twin 650-MWe CANDU-6 pressurized heavy-water reactors.Maria Korsnick, NEI’s president and chief executive officer, and Teodor Chirica, Romatom’s honorary president, signed the MOU during a webinar on investment opportunities and the capabilities of the U.S. and Romanian nuclear industries. Also in attendance were Tommy Joyce, the U.S. Department of Energy’s deputy assistant secretary for global energy security and multilateral engagement, and Dan Dragan, secretary of state in the Romanian Ministry of Energy, Economy, and Business Environment.Go to Article
Bruce Power unveils net zero by 2050 strategyThe Bruce nuclear power plant. Photo: Bruce PowerSpeaking last week at a virtual event of the Empire Club of Canada, Bruce Power president and chief executive officer Mike Rencheck announced “NZ-2050”—the company’s strategy for helping Canada achieve its stated goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.Canada’s only private sector nuclear generator, Bruce Power operates the Bruce Nuclear Generation Station, located in Kincardine, Ontario. The plant houses eight units, all CANDU pressurized heavy-water reactors, with a total output of 6,288 MWe.Go to Article
Brouillette: Nuclear should be part of California’s energy problem solutionBrouilletteIn an op-ed published on September 25 in the Orange County Register, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette decryed the state of California’s handling of its energy crisis.Brouillette criticized state leaders for championing a 100 percent renewable energy plan that ignores nuclear and natural gas. He also found fault with the plan to prematurely close the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.Go to Article
Advanced nuclear to be a focus of reopened Arctic Energy OfficeThe Department of Energy has announced the reestablishment of the Arctic Energy Office (AEO), to be located on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The AEO was originally established in 2001 but failed to receive sufficient funding. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette had pledged to reopen the office by the close of the current federal fiscal year.The focus of the AEO, according to the DOE, will include international cooperation on Arctic issues, research on methane hydrates, and the development of advanced microgrids and nuclear power systems, such as small modular reactors.Go to Article
Canada’s Darlington-3 refurbishment beginsOntario’s Darlington nuclear power plant. Photo: OPGThe latest phase of the Darlington nuclear power plant’s refurbishment project began last week with the start of the defueling of Unit 3, according to Ontario Power Generation (OPG). Originally scheduled to begin in May this year, Unit 3’s refurbishment was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Located in Clarington, Ontario, Canada, the Darlington plant houses four 878-MWe CANDU pressurized heavy-water reactors, all of which entered commercial operation in the early 1990s. The 10-year refurbishment project—which was 10 years in the planning—commenced in earnest in October 2016, when Unit 2 was taken off line (NN, Dec. 2016, pg. 45). The refurbished Unit 2 was returned to service in early June, and in late July Unit 3 was shut down and disconnected from the grid in preparation for its refurbishment.Go to Article