Bucharest, Nov. 9 (.).- The United States’ export-import bank, Exim Bank, has today formally offered the Romanian state two loans totaling $3,050 million to finance the construction of two new nuclear reactors at its only nuclear power plant. active in Romania.

“It is a big step for Romania’s energy independence,” Romanian Energy Minister Virgil Popescu said in statements collected by the local public news agency Agerpres.

Popescu uttered these words at the credit announcing ceremony, which took place during the UN climate change conference being held in Egypt these days. Present at the event was United States Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry.

The Romanian minister emphasized that obtaining these credits will enable Romania to complete its plans for the expansion of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, located next to the Danube in the city of the same name in the south-east of the country, more quickly.

The Cernavoda plant is the only one in operation in Romania and currently has two reactors. The two credits offered by the US will enable the construction of reactors 3 and 4 of the plant. In 2020, Romania signed a cooperation agreement with the US for the expansion of the nuclear power plant.

The two reactors in operation use Canadian CANDU technology, as the plant was designed in Canada in the 1980s, during the communist era.

“We cannot achieve zero neutrality in terms of climate impact before 2050 without nuclear power being part of the energy mix,” John Kerry said at the ceremony.