A tritium removal facility is set to be developed at Cernavoda nuclear power plant in Romania. Recently, a US$225 million deal was recently signed for the development of the facility. The deal was signed between Romania’s nuclear energy company SNN, or Nuclearelectrica, and South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP).

KHNP CEO Whang Joo-ho and SNN chief Cosmin Ghita signed the deal in Seoul, and the signing ceremony was attended by Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang and Romanian Ambassador to Seoul Cezar Armeanu.

According to the agreement, KHNP will construct the facility approximately 70 kilometres east of Bucharest. The construction is scheduled for completion in August 2026. The tritium removal facility (TRF) at Cernavoda nuclear power plant is planned to be put into commercial operation the following year.  It will extract tritium from heavy water and store it in a safe form.

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Remarks on the proposed tritium removal facility (TRF) at Cernavoda nuclear power plant

The ministry said, “Eliminating heavy tritiated water will greatly reduce the amount of radioactive waste left to be handled for the decommissioning of its reactors, hence lowering radiological risks to people and the environment and reducing the energy required to create new heavy water.”

It is the second export of nuclear power facilities for the Yoon Suk Yeol government after South Korea won a 3 trillion-won deal in August 2022 to build Egypt’s first nuclear power plant project in El Dabaa. Furthermore, according to the ministry, they are expected to revive the domestic nuclear power industry, which has been in decline. Additionally, the value of this contract equals almost 38% of South Korea’s US$530 total exports to Romania in 2016.

SNN chief Cosmin Ghita, “South Korea is renowned for its innovative industrial machinery, construction materials, and technology of the highest calibre. Additionally, it has the potential to finish tasks quickly. We consider all of those aspects and anticipate strengthening our relationship with South Korea.”

The agreement to build the TRF at Cernavoda nuclear power plant will increase S. Korea’s possibilities of participating in similar projects in Romania. Including the planned project worth around 2.5 trillion won to improve the Cernavoda plant facilities.