The Nuclear fuel factory will double its production starting with 2010 for units 3 and 4 Cernavoda
Date: 23-04-2009The Nuclear fuel factory in Pitesti will double its production in 2010-2011 to ensure uranium for the future reactors 3 and 4 in Cernavoda, according to the data sent by Nuclearelectrica, at the request of NewsIn. A year before putting to operation unit 3, the production will be 15,000 fuel bundles per year and a year before putting to operation unit 4, the production will be 20,000 fuel bundles per year, according to the Nuclearelectrica data. « FCN Pitesti produced last year a number of 9,360 fuel bundles. In 2007 FCN Pitesti produced 8,640 fuel bundles. The difference is due to the operation of unit 2 in CNE Cernavoda. Unit 2 was in operation in 2007, being operational at the beginning of October 2007” the Nuclearelectrica representatives say. Since the setting up of Fabrica de Combustibil nuclear ( Nuclear fuel factory) (1992) and until December 31st 2008 there were produced 84,079 nuclear bundles, worth 1,615 tons uranium. The production of uranium ore diminished during the last decade, due to the closing down of the production capacity as it was considered unprofitable or due to the diminishing of geological reserves. The existing ore reserves ensure the natural uranium need until 2017 for the operation of the two nuclear-electrical units at Cernavoda, according to the Energy Strategy of Romania for the period 2007 – 2020. In their turn, the Nuclearelectrica representatives say that, according to their estimates, the uranium reserve of Romania could ensure the operation of two units over the next ten years.
Thus, the company takes into consideration to buy uranium on the international market. “ There is a uranium market well regulated, which is dominated by countries with important uranium reserves, such as Canada, Australia, Kazastan, etc. Romania can sign commercial contracts to buy uranium” according to Nuclearelectrica. At this moment, Fabrica de Combustibil Nuclear in Pitesti has 422 employees and does not include layingoff or voluntary leaves. Out of uranium ore is obtained the uranium dioxide poweder which is used to produce nuclear fuel destined to the units in Cernavoda.
Nuclearelectrica was set up in 1990 and has the two units of Centrala Nuclearlectrica in Cernavoda and Fabrica de Combustibil Nuclear in Pitesti. Reactors 1 and 2 in Cernavoda have each installed power of almost 700 MW. Other two reactors will be built and operational after 2016 with a similar installed power. The Nuclearelectrica company, owned by the state is the second big producer of electricity in the country, covering almost 18% of the electricity need, after Hidroelectrica and before the three energy units in Oltenia (Turceni, Rovinari, Craiova).
