Romania has launched construction on Europe’s first tritium removal facility at its Cernavodă NPP. The Cernavodă Tritium Removal Facility (CTRF) is only the third of its kind in the world after those in Canada and South Korea snd is set to place Romania among the global leaders in civilian nuclear technology, according to Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja. “This project positions Romania among the few countries capable of producing and exporting tritium – seen as the fuel of the future for fusion energy programmes such as ITER,” Burduja said.
The project was developed by Romanian nuclear utility Nuclearelectrica in partnership with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) using technology designed by Romania’s National Research & Development Institute for Cryogenic & Isotopic Technologies ICSI Rm Valcea – Institutul Naţional de Cercetare – Dezvoltare pentru Tehnologii Criogenice şi Izotopice Râmnicu Vâlcea. Nuclearelectrica signed the Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contract with KHNP for the CTRF in June 2023.
The technology focuses on extracting tritium (a radioactive isotope of hydrogen) from the heavy water used in the cooling and moderation systems of pressurised heavy water reactors. This process allows the water to be reused and the tritium to be safely stored or potentially used as fuel in future nuclear fusion reactors.
The CTRF is expected to be completed in 50 months and will meet the highest international standards for nuclear safety. Of the project’s total cost of €145m (($159m) will be financed through a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
“We are happy to implement an innovative Romanian technology, based on years of research and development, an example of Romania’s leadership in the nuclear industry,” said Nuclearelectrica General Manager Cosmin Ghiţă. “KHNP, a top expert in the field, is the right partner to support us in carrying out a safe and reliable project…. Our goal, through investment projects, technological progress and international cooperation, is to give Romania a leading role in the nuclear industry and to support its energy security.”
He added: “We are actively working to strengthen our international partnerships, capitalising on our 26-year expertise in the safe operation and experience of over 50 years of the Romanian nuclear industry. We aim to deliver not only 66% of Romania’s clean energy by 2031, but also innovative and efficient projects to support the development of the local nuclear industry with multiple socio-economic benefits. This is an excellent time to capitalize on Romanian expertise for a secure energy future and to share our knowledge with companies and countries that share the same vision.”
