“We are looking into the project as an opportunity to diversify our operations,” Lulache told a news conference.
She said Nuclearelectrica is also in talks with several investors regarding the construction of two new reactors at the company’s plant in Cernavoda, without giving further details.
The Tarnita-Lapustesti project is expected to cost between EUR1.2 billion and EUR1.4 billion. When completed, the plant will be the largest hydroelectric load balancing system in Romania, with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts.
Romanian state-run energy producer Hidroelectrica is currently the main sponsor and beneficiary of the project, whose construction is estimated to take around eight years.
Nucleareletrica is majority owned by the state, through the Energy Department. The company operates two 700-megawatt reactors in Cernavoda, covering around 20% of Romania’s energy consumption.
In late September, Nucleareletrica raised 281.8 million lei (EUR63 million) in an initial public offering of 10% of its shares, which was priced at RON11.2.