Romania began construction on Monday of Europe’s first tritium removal facility at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, a move that positions the country among the global leaders in civil nuclear technology, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said.
“This marks the most important development in Romania’s nuclear sector since the commissioning of Reactor 2,” Burduja wrote on Facebook. “It is the first such facility in Europe and the third globally, after similar projects in Canada and South Korea.”
Tritium is considered a potential fuel for future nuclear fusion reactors. The project, developed by Romanian nuclear operator Nuclearelectrica in partnership with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), uses technology created by the National R&D Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies (ICSI) in Ramnicu Valcea.
The Cernavoda Tritium Removal Facility (CTRF) will extract tritium from the heavy water systems used in the plant’s reactors, allowing for the reuse of heavy water. The recovered tritium will be safely stored and could serve as fuel for future fusion reactors, Burduja said.
“This project reduces tritium’s environmental impact and increases the operational efficiency of the plant,” he added.
The facility will make Romania one of the few countries capable of producing and potentially exporting tritium, a key component in experimental fusion reactors such as the ITER project. The project is expected to be completed in 50 months and meet the highest international nuclear safety standards.
Funding includes a €145 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
“Romania is proving its ability to deliver major projects through local development and international partnerships,” Burduja said. “We are not just an energy producer—we are becoming a technology and resource exporter in the energy sector.”
In a separate statement, Nuclearelectrica said it signed the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the facility with KHNP in June 2023.
“Today’s laying of the first concrete marks a milestone in Romania’s path toward sustainable energy,” said Nuclearelectrica CEO Cosmin Ghita. “This project is both a technological leap and a commitment to a cleaner, safer environment.”
The facility will include advanced systems for isotope separation, cryogenic distillation, and high-vacuum operation, according to the company.