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[cdn-nucl-l] Fuel loading at Cernavoda 2
Posted on World Nuclear News on 19 February 2007, and at:
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/newNuclear/190207Fuel_loading_at_Cernavoda
_2.shtml
Additional info here:
www.nuclearelectrica.ro
Adam
---------------------
Fuel loading at Cernavoda 2
19 February 2007
The first bundle of nuclear fuel has been loaded into Cernavoda 2. This
first stage in active commissioning makes the Romanian unit an official
nuclear site and paves the way for commercial operation this September.
The plant's owner, Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica, has announced that
the process of fuel loading started on 15 February. The manual loading of
4560 fuel bundles, amounting to 100 tonnes of uranium would be take a period
of ten days. The reactor's heavy water moderator would then be added to the
primary circuit at the end of February, with first criticality planned for
25 April, according to Minister of Economy and Trade, Varujan Vosganian.
Both the plant's natural uranium fuel and heavy water were manufactured in
Romania, at the Pitesti and Drobeta-Turnu Severin plants respectively.
Cernavoda 2 is a 655 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor of AECL's Candu 6
design. It is one of five similar units begun at Cernavoda under the regime
of Nicolae Ceauşescu during the 1970s and early 1980s. Their construction
was halted in the years following his overthrow and has subsequently been
recommenced by Nuclearelectrica.
. Unit 1 has been in commercial operation since December 1997. It produces
about 10% of Romania's electricity and 60% of its heat consumption.
. Unit 2 is in the commissioning stage.
. Units 3 and 4 are to be completed in parallel, following the
recomendations of a 2006 study. Interested contractors have supplied some 15
Letters of Interest, of which 12 are under further discussion in the process
assembly of a private project company to begin the work in 2008.
. There are no plans to complete unit 5 as yet.
Further information
Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica