Greenpeace disapproves of 'experimental' Romania-US nuclear project

Greenpeace disapproves of the "experimental" Romania-US nuclear project and stresses that Romania "would become a guinea pig for insufficiently tested nuclear technologies," according to an organization's release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.

"President Klaus Iohannis continues, step by step, to compromise Romania's presence at the COP26 climate event in Glasgow. Yesterday [Tuesday] he expressed his support for new nuclear capabilities in Romania until 2028, after only a few hours earlier he was promoter of green technologies. We refer to the 'new' American nuclear technologies SMR (Small Modular Reactors), not yet authorized in Europe. No nuclear reactor of this type has been built, neither in the USA, nor in any other country in the world. Therefore, Romania would become a guinea pig for insufficiently tested nuclear technologies," the representatives of the organization claim.

According to them, "nuclear energy poses unacceptable risks to the environment and humanity, as we already know from Chernobyl, Fukushima and other nuclear accidents that have destroyed lives."

Thus, they say, beyond the problem of imminent disasters and radioactive waste, nuclear energy is far too expensive and difficult to develop.

"It is definitely not a solution to the climate crisis. Renewable energy-based technologies are mature, competitively priced and must be prioritized on the agenda of politicians," Greenpeace said.

President Iohannis should also know that Romanians do not want new nuclear power plants, according to the representatives of the environmental organization.

"A YouGov poll published in October shows that 66% of Romanians do not want a nuclear power plant to be built in their neighborhood. At the same time, citizens' support for green energy is very high in Romania. (...) What is the risk of living another nuclear disaster, when we are still witnessing the misfortunes left behind by them?," the release states.

Greenpeace is an independent international organization, present in more than 50 countries around the world, that works to change attitudes and behaviors, to protect and preserve the environment, and to promote peace. In order to maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments, political parties or companies, but relies mainly on contributions from individuals.