Romania will chose the site for its second nuclear plant in early 2010 but will keep the decision secret in part to head off possible protests, officials said Wednesday.
"The decision should be taken in January or February 2010", Pompiliu Budulan, general manager of Romanian nuclear energy company Nuclearelectrica told a press conference in Bucharest.
Three locations are currently under review, according to Alexandru Sandulescu, director of energetic policy at the ministry of economics.
"The name of the location will not be made public immediately after the decision has been taken in order to prevent property speculation and protests," from environmental activists, he added.
Environmental group Greenpeace has already launched a judicial procedure to force nuclear officials to disclose the names of potential sites.
"They want to announce the location the latest as possible but they will have to organize a public debate as the law requires them to do", Greenpeace team leader in Romania, Crisanta Lungu, told AFP.
Romania currently has just one nuclear power plant in Cernavoda (south-east of the country), where two reactors are so far in operation, supplying around 17 percent of the country's total energy needs.
Two more reactors are expected to become operational there by 2017.
A joint venture between Nuclearelectrica and six foreign investors — steel group Arcelor-Mittal, Czech utility CEZ, Electrabel of Belgium, Enel of Italy, Iberdrola of Spain and German power giant RWE will carry out the construction for an estimated cost of four billion euros.
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