Managing delayed projects. Cernavoda NPP - Romania

Cernavoda NPP is designed for 5 CANDU units of 700 MWe each, operating with natural Uranium as fuel and heavy water as coolant. The unit 1 was commissioned in 1996. The unit 2 has been started in 1982. In 1991 the works on units 2-5 were temporary stopped. The preservation works were carried out through 1992-1995. In 1996 the works on unit 2 were restarted under the AECL-ANSALDO management. In 1998 the work progressed with engineering and procurement activities within the available local funds. In 2001 the Unit 2 Completion Contract was signed with AECL-Canada and ANSALDO-Italy, but the Contract is not in force due to lack of external financing. In 2002 Commercial Contracts for Equipment Supply from abroad were signed. Canadian, Italian and French credit agreements were signed between SNN SocGen New York. In March 2003 the down payments for the Contracts were paid and they came in force. On September 2003 the engineering or procurement fast track acceleration program was started. The main problems encountered on unit 2 construction and applied measures are briefly mentioned. The unit 3 construction has been started in 1980. In 2002 the works on unit 3 were restarted and now the existing facilities completion is as following: reactor building - 64%; service building - 45%; turbine building - 65%. In 2003 SNN conducted a feasibility study for the completion and commissioning of unit 3. The preliminary results from the phase 1 of the study demonstrate the economic competitiveness of unit 3, benefiting from the existing infrastructure and unit 2 mobilization. The phase 2 will consist of the review, optimization and confirmation of various aspects, such as: cost and schedule, financing plan and business implementation model, basis for contract negotiations and tendering activities leading to project implementation