Mission Background
On March 2 and 3, 2021, the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI), ROMATOM, Energynomics, Nuclearelectrica and the Embassy of Canada to Romania had the pleasure of presenting the “Canada-Romania Partnership in Nuclear Technologies” online event. The “Canada-Romania Partnership in Nuclear Technologies” event showcased the long-standing partnership between the Canada and Romania in the nuclear domain and at discussing the upcoming Romanian investment projects.
Decision makers in the Canadian and Romanian nuclear industry came together for an actionable conversation on future collaboration between the two countries.
Thank you to all those that put in the time and care to organize the event: our team here at Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI), and our patners at ROMATOM, Energynomics, Nuclearelectrica and the Embassy of Canada to Romania. The event gathered over 50 speakers, senior officials from the Government and regulatory bodies, top managers from large companies, savvy representatives of professional associations, Romanian and Canadian experts and over 500 audience participants.
If you missed any of the presentations you will find here a summary follow-up article, the conference recording and the option to download all the presentations (please note this link is a an auto download of a zipped file).
Event Schedule
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
7:00 – 7:05 am Introduction to Cernavoda NPP
7:05 – 7:45 am Opening Remarks
7:45 – 7:55 am Keynote Address – Prof. Ion Purica ROMATOM
7:55 – 8:10 amNETWORKING BREAK for the participants registered to the event page in in the MyConnector platform
8:10 – 9:05 am Cernavodă Unit 3 & 4
Following the termination of the previous round of negotiations, Romania is seeking to identify new investors for Cernavoda CANDU Units 3&4. This important project will double Romania’s nuclear capacity in order to meet increasing power demand, enhance security of supply and reach climate change targets. The Project is contemplated by the all scenarios of “Romania’s Energy Strategy until 2030, with the perspective of 2050”, as well as in the “National Integrated Plan in the field of Energy and Climate Change (PNIESC) 2021-2030”. Unit 3 has to be operational by 2030, and Unit 4 soon after 2030. The foreign partners envisaged by the Romanian government are from the EU / NATO area.
9:05 – 9:20 am NETWORKING BREAK for the participants registered to the event page in in the MyConnector platform
9:20 – 10:15 am Cernavodă Unit 1 Refurbishment
Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 refurbishment process is a complex one, involving a wide supply chain, dedicated oversight team and a strict project timeline. The refurbishment outage is scheduled between January 2027 and December 2028 and at an estimated cost of 1.2 – 1.5 billion Euros. Unit 1 refurbishment project will result in an additional 30 years of safe, reliable, clean and efficient operation of Unit 1. The Cernavoda Tritium Removal Plant (CTRF) will significantly reduce the environmental radioactive emissions as well as the radioactive doses for workers, with strong effects during the refurbishment of Unit 1.
9:20 – 10:15 am Darlington Refurbishment
The Darlington Nuclear Generating Station has been a reliable source of power for Ontario for more than 30 years and the refurbishment program scheduled for the next 10 years will provide another 30 years of low-cost, reliable and clean energy. In 2016, after years of detailed planning and preparation, Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) team of project partners, industry experts, energy professionals, and skilled tradespeople successfully shut down the first of four Darlington reactors scheduled for refurbishment. In June 2020, following more than three years in the execution phase, OPG successfully reconnected Unit 2 to Ontario’s grid at 100% full power. Unit 2 Refurbishment fast facts: 24 million hours worked since 2016; 765,000 hours spent on training in the Mock-up and Training Facility; 18 of 18 safety and infrastructure projects complete; 100,000 work order tasks processed.
10:15 – 10:30 am NETWORKING BREAK for the participants registered to the event page in in the MyConnector platform
10.30 – 11:25 am Nuclear Safety Regulatory Issues
Ensuring safe nuclear plant operation is key objective of nuclear power plant designers, operators and nuclear regulators in Canada and Romania. Romania’s CNCAN and Canada’s CNSC are long-term collaborators in the field. Also, meeting the European Union’s nuclear safety requirements is a challenge for the nuclear industry in the Member States of the Union. The nuclear safety session will discuss how the Canadian – Romanian cooperation in nuclear plant safety will benefit future CANDU projects to be developed in Romania.
10:15 – 10:30 am NETWORKING BREAK for the participants registered to the event page in in the MyConnector platform
10.30 – 11:25 am Canada-Romania Universities Cooperation
Ensuring well-trained human resources is key for the advancement of the nuclear sector. Canadian and Romanian universities with nuclear programs are developing connections and look forward to discussing further areas of R&D collaboration in developing and expanding various applications of nuclear technology both in Romania and in Canada.
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
7:00 – 7:55 am Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal
Dealing with radioactive waste is one of the most important aspects in both Romanian and Canadian nuclear plant operations and in maintaining public support. Through collaboration, Romanian and Canadian nuclear waste agencies and research organizations can identify the best solutions. Here, as well as at the nuclear safety session, complying with the EU legal framework represents an important challenge.
8:45 – 8:10 am NETWORKING BREAK for the participants registered to the event page in in the MyConnector platform
8:10 – 9:05 am Small Modular Reactors
New, more easily deployable nuclear technologies are making their way into the industry, making nuclear power accessible to remote communities. Coupled with Gen IV innovations, SMRs are regarded by many countries as a key part of nuclear development. Romania has a long-term vision in the nuclear field, aiming to deploy competitive SMRs in the 2030s, while Canada is progressing vigorously with the release of its SMR Action Plan in December, 2020.
9:05 – 9:20 am NETWORKING BREAK for the participants registered to the event page in in the MyConnector platform
9.20 – 10:15 am Innovative Applications of Nuclear Technologies
Applications of nuclear technologies go beyond nuclear power and include advances in cancer treatment, medical sterilization, and food preservation. Research and development in this field is identifying new beneficial uses of nuclear technology. The experience of the CANDU industry is relevant in this area, and Romania is a fertile ground for these applications. In addition, Romania’s progress in the field of Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) can create new bridges between the two countries.
10:15 – 10:30 am NETWORKING BREAK for the participants registered to the event page in in the MyConnector platform
10.30 – 11:25 am Canada-Romania Supply Chain Collaboration
Canadian and Romanian companies with expertise in the nuclear field have a 50-year long history of collaboration on the Cernavodă CANDU plant, as well as on research and development. This collaboration can be extended to joint projects in Romania, Canada and third county markets.