Nuclear energy is a strategic decision, directly related to energy security, prices and economic competitiveness, Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan said on Wednesday.
He attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he discussed with Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the role of nuclear energy in Romania.
"Today, in Davos, I made sure that Romania has a say at the decision-making table. At the World Economic Forum, we discussed with Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the role of nuclear energy in Romania. Nuclear energy is not a theoretical debate. It is a strategic decision, directly related to energy security, prices and economic competitiveness. We have been very firm: we want to decarbonise the economy, but we will do it pragmatically and smartly. Romania constantly produces stable and clean nuclear energy, and we are counting on this pillar in the long term," Ivan wrote in a social media post.
According to him, recent data indicate increasing pressures on the national power grid, with direct effects on the market and the economy.
"The current context calls a spade a spade: domestic consumption has constantly exceeded 9,000 MW, at its highest in the last 4 years; at peak load, we imported 1,200-2,000 MW; Last week, Romania had the most expensive energy market in Europe. The model is not sustainable in the long term. If we perpetuate it, we risk seriously affecting the economy. That is why: we are investing in the construction of two new nuclear units at Cernavoda (720 MW each), accelerating the SMR project in Doicesti, the first of its kind in Europe (462 MW), we are responsibly managing the years 2027-2029, when the refurbishment of Unit 1 will temporarily remove 700 MW from the system, through new gas facilities and stronger interconnections. The decisions we make now will matter for years. And they must be taken in advance, not under the pressure of crises," according to Ivan.
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