North American firms win deal to build US$7.4bn nuclear reactors in Romania

The reactors are expected to cost around €7 billion (US7.4 billion) and will be supported by CAN$3 billion (US$2.1 billion) in financing from the Government of Canada.

Qinshan Phase III units 1 and 2, located in Zhejiang, China used a CANDU reactor design (Image: Atomic Energy of Canada via Wikimedia Commons)

Italian nuclear power specialist Ansaldo Nucleare and power and energy engineering and design firm Sargent & Lundy are also involved in the consortium building the reactors for Romanian energy company EnergoNuclear.

The two new reactors will be built at the Cernavoda Nuclear Generating Station in Romania and will be the first Canadian-designed CANDU pressurised heavy water reactors to be built since 2007.

“This is a game changing contract for AtkinsRéalis and Romania. As the sole commercial licensee of world-renowned CANDU technology, we are uniquely positioned to contribute to the vast expansion of the world’s clean power,” said Ian L. Edwards, president and chief executive officer, AtkinsRéalis.

He added, “I would like to thank the Government of Canada who helped make this contract possible through export financing support of $3 billion. This also represents our first step in our expansion around the world as we aim to sell many more reactors.”