Romania wants to build second nuclear power plant after 2020

Romania plans to build a second nuclear power station to ensure its future energy independence, the head of Nuclearelectrica, Teodor Chirica, said.

'After 2020, we'll need a second nuclear power plant, with between two and four reactors,' Chirica said at an energy strategy seminar here.

Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu said in October that Bucharest was planning a second nuclear power station 'so as not to be dependent on resources like gas and oil which are running out.'

The current Cernovada power plant in the country's southeast, which currently has two reactors in operation, supplies around 17 percent of Romania's electricity needs.

Another two reactors are set to go into operation by 2014-2015, and Romania launched an international tender for their construction, the cost of which was estimated to be 2.2 billion euros.

For the project, a joint venture was set up between Nuclearelectrica and six foreign investors -- Arcelor-Mittal, Czech utility CEZ, Electrabel of Belgium, Enel of Italy, Iberdrola ( of Spain and German power giant RWE.

The six will each take stakes of 10-15 percent in the joint venture.

(Source: Forbes)