BKB sent a letter to Romanian Economy Ministery Ion Ariton stating its “firm” commitment to investment in this project, and adding it plans to visit Romania for technical talks on the project, the Economy Ministry said in a statement Friday.
Romania, through state-owned nuclear energy company Nuclearelectrica, controls 85.6% in EnergoNuclear, a joint venture set up to build two additional reactors at Cernavoda. ArcelorMittal Romania and Italy’s Enel own the remaining shares.
The government is looking for more investors in the project, after four of its initial six partners withdrew their funds, citing economic and market uncertainties.
Nuclearelectrica plans to sell over 40% of its stake in EnergoNuclear by March 2012, while the works at the new reactors are estimated to start in 2013.
Cernavoda currently operates two reactors of 700 megawatts power each and covers around 20% of Romania’s electricity production. The two new reactors are expected to double the plant’s capacity.