Press release archive 2021

Information regarding the munitions explosion at Uzina Mecanică, Băbeni, Vâlcea County

On 18 November this year, at 16:15, the Emergency Operations Centre of the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) was notified by telephone by the representative of SC Oxo Network Corporation SRL, holder of a licence for the possession of nuclear material (depleted uranium), regarding the explosion that occurred at Uzina Mecanică Băbeni, Vâlcea County.

The notification stated that the nuclear material (depleted uranium) was not affected, as at the time of the explosion it was in a storage facility that meets all safety conditions, so there is no radiological hazard as a result of this event.

Following this notification, CNCAN requested additional information from the licence holder and ordered it to take preventive measures.

CNCAN is also in permanent contact with the representatives of the national authorities with responsibilities in the field, who are intervening on site.

A CNCAN inspector has been sent to Uzina Mecanică Băbeni to confirm the licence holder's notification and to carry out thorough investigations.

We will provide further information as soon as it becomes available, in subsequent press briefings.

CNCAN

18 November 2021

Press release

The ConvEx-3 (2021) international exercise is taking place on 26-27 October 2021. The exercise is organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Member States (MS).

The organization of this exercise is an opportunity for the MS to test their response capabilities in the event of a nuclear accident and also an opportunity to verify the international arrangements developed under the umbrella of the IAEA as regards cooperation and coordination among the MS, as well as the international assistance mechanism RANET (Response and Assistance Network).

The exercise scenario involves the simulation of a severe accident at a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In addition to the UAE, 15 international organizations and 75 IAEA Member States are taking part in this exercise, including Romania through the institutions that are part of the National Emergency Management System, such as: CNCAN, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the National Environmental Protection Agency, the Department for Emergency Situations, the Institute for Nuclear Research Pitești, the “Horia Hulubei” National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, and the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant.

CNCAN is responsible for ensuring Romania's participation in the exercise during the planning phase, for coordinating the conduct of the exercise at national level and for its evaluation. Romania's main objectives for this international exercise are:

i. Testing the cooperation relationships and instruments at national and international level in the event of a nuclear accident outside the country's borders;

ii. Testing the draft Regulation on accessing the international assistance mechanism RANET;

iii. Communication and public information in the event of a nuclear accident outside the country's borders;

iv. Identifying current best practices, and identifying deficiencies and areas requiring improvement.

Exercises of this type, called ConvEx-3, are organized every 3 or 5 years and are the most complex exercises organized at international level for testing the cooperation arrangements and mechanisms for the response to emergency situations in the nuclear field. The practice of these exercises is based on two international conventions important to this field: the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency. The last ConvEx-3 exercise was organized in 2017 by the IAEA, simulating a nuclear accident at the nuclear power plant in Hungary.

Regular participation in emergency exercises is necessary and useful both for testing the specific plans, procedures and protocols implemented at national level and for maintaining and continuously improving the technical expertise and competence of the personnel involved in the emergency response structures. At the same time, participation in such exercises strengthens teamwork, as well as inter-institutional communication and cooperation.