Nuclear regulatory authority
The independent Romanian administrative authority National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control is responsible for nuclear safety, radiation protection, physical protection, emergency preparedness, decommissioning, transportation, technical safety of nuclear installations; regulation and control of spent fuel and radioactive waste, etc.
The Nuclear and Radioactive Waste Agency is the national competent authority in the field of promotion, development and monitoring of the nuclear activities for peaceful purposes and in the field of safety management of radioactive waste including the final disposal.
Nuclear activities
There are two PHWRs in operation, two PHWRs under construction, and four research reactors: one TRIGA II Pulsed is in operation, one steady state core in operation, one RP-01 has been decommissioned and one VVR-S has been shut down. In addition, there is one nuclear fuel plant, three waste disposal facilities, uranium mining and milling activities, 4 377 radioactive sources (medical and industrial), and transportation of radioactive material.
Radioactive waste and spent fuel management
The types of radioactive waste managed in Romania are: liquid, solid, spent resins, liquids/solids contaminated with natural U as well as spent sealed radioactive sources. These types of radioactive waste are classified as follows: exempt waste(EW), transition waste(TW), very low level waste (LLW), low&intermediate level short lived waste (LILW-SL), low&intermediate level long lived waste (LILW-LL) and high-level waste (HLW).
The radioactive waste and spent fuel facilities in Romania:
Cernavoda NPP
At Cernavoda NPP there is a treatment facility and a storage facility. Operational solid waste are treated by compacting and shredding after that are stored in stainless steel drums. The organic liquid as well as other solvents are stored in stainless steel drums, spent resins are stored in concrete tanks.
Spent nuclear fuel is stored in dry conditions into Dry Intermediate Storage Facility(DICA).
Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering – Horia Hulubei, Bucharest, Magurele
The Radioactive Waste Treatment Facility (STRD) Bucharest-Magurele gathers the institutional RW as well as the RW from the VVR-S research reactor. The waste are treated, conditioned bt cementing and transferred to the storage on-site, or to the National Radioactive Waste Repository (DNDR) Baita Bihor for disposal.
Băiţa Bihor
The National Radioactive Waste Repository - Baita Bihor (DNDR) belongs to and it is operated by Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering - Horia Hulubei, Bucharest, Magurele. The repository is arranged into an old uranium mine, and it is able to accommodate standard packages (220 L capacity) as well as extra - size packages (420 L capacity). Spent nuclear fuel low enriched (LEW) from VVR-S research reactor is stored in wet conditions into Storage Ponds (DCNU). High enriched spent nuclear fuel (HEU) was shipped back to origin country.
Subsidiary for Nuclear Research Piteşti
The Radioactive Waste Treatment Station (STDR) Pitesti gathers the radioactive waste from the nuclear fuel plant, from the TRIGA research reactor and from the Post Irradiation Examination Laboratory (LEPI). The U contaminated waste are treated in scope of U recovery and any other wastes are treated, conditioned and transferred to National Radioactive Waste Repository (DNDR) Baita Bihor for disposal. Into Post Irradiation and Examination Laboratory is stored high activity spent sealed radioactive sources as well as high level waste consisting of fragments of spent nuclear fuel resulted from research activities. The spent nuclear fuel from TRIGA research reactor is stored in wet conditions; it waits to be shipped back into origin country.
Main legal instruments
Law No. 544/2001 on the free access to information of public interest and Law No. 52/2003 on decision transparency in the public administration.
Last updated in January 2015
