How safe is the construction of small reactors in Doicești? A comparison with other development projects

Thursday, Mar 27, 2025

HotNews

Romania advances SMR project while other EU nations explore small modular reactor development.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

The 462 MW Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) at Doicești are in the second phase of engineering and design, with a final investment decision expected by the end of 2025. Despite this, the Ministry of Energy is urging Nuclearelectrica to acquire the land from Nova Power & Gas through the project company, RoPower. Other European nations like Croatia, Bulgaria, Czechia, and Italy are also exploring the development of small modular reactors. In Romania, NuScale, an American developer, plans to implement this innovative project with the Romanian state at Doicești. RoPower, a joint venture between Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power & Gas, needs loans guaranteed by Nuclearelectrica to fund the design studies conducted by Fluor Corporation and NuScale. The Ministry of Energy has requested that Nuclearelectrica shareholders approve the land purchase from Nova Power in an upcoming shareholder meeting. In other countries, Croatia is forming a Nuclear Energy Working Group to analyze SMR potential; Bulgaria remains interested but has discussed it with the US and South Korea; Czechia plans to build modular reactors on former mining sites, aiming for 3 gigawatts, while facing criticism over costs; and Italy has signed an agreement between EDF, Edison, and ENEA to collaborate on developing SMRs for carbon neutrality.

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