The Final Investment Decision for the Doicesti SMR project marks the transition from the analysis phase to the implementation phase, consolidating Romania's positioning at the forefront of the new European nuclear industry, believes the Minister of Energy, Bogdan Ivan.
"The Final Investment Decision for the Doiceşti SMR project marks the transition from the analysis phase to the implementation phase, consolidating Romania's positioning at the forefront of the new European nuclear industry. We are replacing 600 MW from a former thermal power plant with 462 MW of clean, stable and predictable energy. Approximately 4,000 jobs will be generated in the development phase, in construction, production and assembly of components, and in the long term we are talking about stable, well-paid jobs and the development of a Romanian industry horizontally", the relevant minister stated, in a statement sent by Nuclearelectrica.
According to him, in the next six months, the project will enter a stage of financial structuring and consolidation of partnerships, a period in which financing mechanisms will be defined and discussions with potential investors for the execution phase will be advanced.
Nuclearelectrica shareholders approved the final investment decision in the Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Project in Doicesti on Thursday. According to the company, with this decision, Romania marks the most advanced step at European level in developing an SMR project.
"The Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Project in Doiceşti is the project through which Romania positions itself on the international map of the nuclear industry, through know-how and supply chain development, at a stage of the energy transition in which, at a global and European level, modular reactors represent a solution in ensuring energy security and independence. International reports confirm that the global SMR portfolio has increased by 65% since 2021 to a planned capacity of 22 gigawatts. Therefore, at a global level, SMRs have become a reality of security of supply and decarbonization: accepted, developed, accelerated", stated Cosmin Ghita, general director of SN Nuclearelectrica SA.
According to the company's press release, by May 2026, RoPower Nuclear (the project company) will carry out a series of activities prior to Stage 3 (Pre-EPC), including the completion of geotechnical investigations, the continuation of the licensing process, the completion of the Pre-EPC contract negotiation, the negotiation of contracts for long-life materials, the definition of supply chains for materials and equipment, and the preparation of the organization for the Pre-EPC and EPC phases.
Stage 3 - Pre-EPC will have an estimated duration of 15 months and will aim, among others, at identifying contractors and the contractual structure for contracts such as: Pre-EPC Contract, extension of the technology license agreement with NuScale; contracts regarding the impact assessment on the environment etc.
In parallel with these technical stages, in the coming period, the steps regarding the structuring of the investment and financial framework of the project will be continued, in order to prepare the execution phase. The objective is for the project to become operational at the beginning of the next decade, in compliance with all corporate approvals and the applicable regulatory framework, the press release emphasizes.
"Nuclear energy cannot be missing from the energy mix of a highly industrialized country. SMR technology is the most modern and safest of all." nuclear technologies for electricity production. We are proud to be in this project with our company, Nova Power & Gas, and I am convinced that together with our American partners we will find solutions to make the project successful from a technical and economic point of view", said Teofil Muresan, founder and president of CA E-INFRA.
RoPower Nuclear General Manager, Valentin Ovidiu Nae, believes that this project is an opportunity for Romania to demonstrate once again that it is in the area of ??excellence in energy production using nuclear technology.
"The Doicesti Project means 60 years of clean energy. The RoPower team is a team of professionals that has worked and will work for a safe and technologically advanced project, that of Small Modular Reactors. We will remain dedicated to this project, which is an opportunity for Romania to demonstrate once again that it is in the area of ??excellence in energy production using nuclear technology," mentioned Nae.
The Doicesti SMR project, in which SNN holds a 50% stake in the project company RoPower Nuclear SA, was effectively launched, following the technology and site selection process, in September 2022, with the approval of the project implementation strategy by the AGM. In 2023 and 2024, the initial technical analysis stages FEED 1 and FEED 2, mandatory in a nuclear project, were completed, when independent IAEA assessment missions were carried out on the selected site, the conclusions of which confirmed the steps taken and led to the implementation of additional measures. The FEED 2 stage was completed according to schedule and at a lower budget than initially estimated.
The SMR project will replace the 600 MW installed in the former Doicesti thermal power plant with 462 MW of clean energy. Approximately 4,000 jobs will be available during the development period: 200 permanent jobs, 1,500 during the construction period, 2,300 jobs in the production and assembly of components, to which is added the development of a related industry and the attraction of associated investments.
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