Global law firm Dentons advised EnergoNuclear on an engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract for the advancement of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant Units in Romania. Valued at an estimated €3.2 billion, the EPCM contract has been structured to cover two phases spanning over 108 months in total.

EnergoNuclear, a fully owned subsidiary of Nuclearelectrica, signed the EPCM contract with the FCSA Joint Venture consisting of Fluor B.V., Fluor Energy Transition Inc. Wilmington Bucuresti Branch, Candu Energy Inc., Ansaldo Nucleare S.p.A., S&L Engineers, Ltd. and Sargent & Lundy Energie S.R.L. The contract was signed during the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Units 3 and 4, based on CANDU technology, will provide Romania with energy security and clean energy in a safe and sustainable manner. Once Units 3 and 4 are connected to the grid, nuclear energy will generate 66% of the country’s clean energy, reinforcing its essential role in the decarbonization process.

A cross-border, multi-competency Dentons team from Romania, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Hungary and Belgium provided legal support to EnergoNuclear over the course of the two-and-a-half-year project. The team advised on highly complex infrastructure, public procurement, and competition law issues and supported the client in structuring, negotiating and drafting the EPCM agreement. Partners Claudiu Munteanu-Jipescu (Bucharest), Mark Macaulay (Glasgow) and Ian McGrath (Amsterdam) led the team, while senior counsel Oana Voda (Bucharest) provided procurement assistance. The wider team included partner Peter Braun (Frankfurt), associates Elspeth Nuttall and Alec Cameron (both Edinburgh), senior associate Bartosz Dobkowski (Warsaw), counsel Başak Küçük (Amsterdam), partner Yves Botteman (Brussels), partner Raul Mihu (Bucharest), partner Istvan Réczicza and of counsel Ted Boone (both Budapest). Furthermore, Dominique Ristori and Gregoire Poisson from DGA Group provided public affairs advisory services.

Claudiu Munteanu-Jipescu commented, “We are honored to have assisted EnergoNuclear with this landmark investment in Romania’s energy security. This project not only strengthens Romania’s energy strategic infrastructure but also underscores its commitment to sustainable energy development. Its significance extends beyond continental boundaries, marking it as a venture of truly global importance.”