Nuclearelectrica SA and Nova Power & Gas SRL launch RoPower Nuclear SA, the project company for the development of small modular reactors in Romania on the site of the former coal-fired power plant in Doicești, Dâmbovița county, according to a press release sent by the Ministry of Energy.
Jose W. Fernandez, Under Secretary for Economic Development, Energy and Environment of the United States of America, the Department of State of the United States of America and the Minister of Energy of Romania, Virgil Popescu, attended the signing ceremony of the Shareholders’ Declaration on Tuesday, September 27, at the Ministry of Energy, in Romania.
“I welcome and support the new steps for the implementation in Romania of the first SMR plant in Europe, now achieved by the launch of the project company RoPower Nuclear and the signing of the shareholders’ declaration by the two companies, Nuclearelectrica & Nova Power & Gas. The project is an example of the successful relations between Romania and the USA in the field of nuclear energy, which brings many benefits, in particular, economic stability and energy security. I thank our American partners and the United States Under Secretary for Economic Development, Energy and Environment, United States Department of State, Jose W. Fernandez, for supporting bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy programs. I also reiterate the fact that the Government of Romania supports this important project, which will contribute to the consolidation of energy security and energy independence for our country and the neighboring ones,” said Virgil Popescu, Minister of Energy.
RoPower Nuclear SA, owned in equal parts by SC Nuclearelectrica SA and Nova Power & Gas SA, will take steps to implement the first NuScale VOYGR-6 power plant (462 MWe) in Romania, this decade. The power plant will use Power Module technology from NuScale, the only SMR company to obtain design approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The installed capacity can also be supplemented with renewable sources, with a capacity of about 80MWe, which would make the new energy complex exceed the capacity of the former plant in Doicești. The joint nuclear and renewable solution will represent not only an optimal production capacity, with the possibility to vary the production, but also a new vision of the generation sources for the national energy system of the future.
“We are proud that we will develop a safe power plant in Romania, which offers clean and cost-effective energy, while at the same time bringing multiple benefits to the local community. Having energy independence and energy security as the highest goals, Romania will be able to be a leader for the development of small modular reactors in the region, and the new company, RoPower Nuclear, an example of good practices in the implementation of the highest standards of nuclear security and productivity and performance, just like the CNE Cernavoda plant, for over 25 years,” also said Cosmin Ghiță, CEO, Nuclearelectrica.