Ansaldo Nucleare and SACE together for Romanian nuclear development

Supporting the strengthening of activities related to the production of nuclear energy in Romania, in particular those linked to the life extension of Unit 1 of the Cernavoda power plant and the development of Units 3 and 4: this is the heart of the Memorandum of Understanding signed today between the Italian insurance-financial group SACE, Ansaldo Nucleare and the Romanian nuclear energy company Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica S.A. (SNN), which aims to structure a financing line of up to 2 billion euros, with the insurance support of SACE, for the execution of these works.

The agreement was signed today at the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy (MIMIT), in the presence of Minister Adolfo Urso and the Romanian Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Stefan-Radu Oprea.

At present, two CANDU 6 type units are operational at the Cernavoda power plant (each with 700 MWe of power), which came into operation in 1996 and 2007 respectively and which supply together approximately 20% of the country's energy needs. Ansaldo Nucleare actively participated in the construction of the two units, designed for an operating cycle of 30 years. At the end of 2026, Unit 1 will reach this milestone: for this reason, SNN has started a refurbishment process.

Ansaldo Nucleare will be responsible for the engineering and procurement of components for the life extension of Unit 1 in collaboration with the Canadian company Candu Energy Inc. (AtkinsRéalis) and the Korean KHNP, which will respectively take care of the nuclear island and the activities construction, as set out in the agreement signed for the establishment of the Consortium .

In parallel, SNN intends the completion of Units 3 and 4 of the same power plant: since these two new units are based on the design of Unit 2, Ansaldo Nucleare would see its involvement reconfirmed in this case too as the original designer of the Balance of Plant, i.e. that part of the plant's systems that allow the transformation of the energy deriving from nuclear fission into electrical energy.

In continuity with the support provided upon completion of the first two units, Italy renews its support for the Romanian nuclear program. This agreement, which is part of a long and fruitful collaboration between the parties, represents a significant opportunity for the entire Ansaldo Energia Group.

In addition, Ansaldo Nucleare consolidates its presence and its role in Romania by involving the entire Italian nuclear supply chain in this strategic project. Precisely in this context, the company will shortly organize a Supply Chain Day involving the Italian companies interested in the project, with the aim, as happened in the past, of supporting access to the Romanian market by Italian companies with expertise in the sector, promoting Italy's industrial competitiveness. This also in view of possible new developments on nuclear programs at national and international level.

The newly launched hiring campaign and the important prospects of the nuclear market represent a fundamental step for the continuous development of Ansaldo Nucleare and the Ansaldo Energia Group as a technological and industrial point of reference in the sector.

“The Refurbishment of Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 and the completion of Units 3 and 4 will lead after 2031 to generating approximately 66% of Romania’s clean energy with a significant impact on decarbonization by avoiding 15 million tons of CO2 on yearly basis. With nuclear energy as an 24/7 available source and over 90% capacity factor, Nuclearelectrica’s nuclear expansion investments will greatly benefit Romania’s long-term energy security, reliability and value chain socio-economic development, from Romanian suppliers’ chain growth to job creation and a new generation of nuclear specialists. Our partnership with Ansaldo Nucleare stands a long-time cooperation based on performance and professionalism going back to the beginning of Unit 1 commissioning, therefore we are looking forward to continuing this partnership for the new units. We highly appreciate SACE’s joining of this MoU and the level confidence awarded to nuclear power productions facilities in Romania.” Says Cosmin Ghita, Chief Executive Officer, Nuclearelectrica.

“We are pleased to be an active part of Italy's support to the Romanian nuclear program. Our intervention will support Ansaldo Nucleare and, with it, the entire Italian nuclear supply chain”, says Filippo Giansante, SACE Chairman.

“We are extremely satisfied with this agreement, which allows us to consolidate our collaboration with SNN, a historical partner with whom we have a relationship of trust that has lasted for over 40 years," says Daniela Gentile, Chief Executive Officer of Ansaldo Nucleare. "Thanks to SACE we can put our expertise at the service of Romania's growth and development, with benefits for the entire Italian energy supply chain".