Romania wants to convince energy groups CEZ, RWE, Iberdrola and GDF SUEZ to rejoin the project to build two new reactors at the country's sole nuclear power plant in Cernavoda, news agency Mediafax reported.

"By the end of the year, we will have an answer from these companies, as well as a project," Rodin Traicu, secretary of state with the Economy Ministry, said Wednesday.

Czech power producer CEZ, German utility RWE, Spain 's Iberdrola and French-Belgian group GDF Suez quit the project early in 2011, displeased with negotiations.

After their walkout, Romania 's Economy Ministry owns 86% of the firm that develops the project, through Nuclearelectrica, the operator of the Cernavoda nuclear plant. Other participants are electricity supplier Enel and steelmaker ArcelorMittal.

According to Traicu, Enel and ArcelorMittal pledged that they would stick with the project for at least one year.

The project to build the two reactors was launched in 2007 and works were scheduled to begin in 2010. After CEZ, RWE, Iberdrola and GDF SUEZ quit the project, works stalled as the government failed to attract new investors.

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