Nuclear energy is one of the few sources capable of covering the clean energy deficit, and Romania has the best-performing nuclear reactors in the world in the scoreboard of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Over the next ten years, the country will almost triple its production capacity, according to Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan.
He took part on Tuesday in the Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris, attended by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, alongside heads of state and government, ministers, international financial institutions and industry leaders.
'In Eastern Europe and the Black Sea area, energy no longer means only consumption. It means security, competitiveness and the power to defend your interests in an increasingly complicated international context. (...) The world needs more and more energy. We consume more, and at the same time we must reduce CO2 emissions and make energy systems more stable. Nuclear energy is one of the few sources capable of covering the clean energy deficit: it produces constantly, on a large scale, with low emissions and plays an essential role in energy security. For Romania, the implications are direct. We are on the eastern border of the European Union, in a region where price volatility is quickly felt and where energy security has concrete effects on the economy,' the minister wrote on his Facebook page.
He stressed that Romania has 60 years of experience in nuclear energy and more than 30 years of operation under maximum safety and efficiency conditions at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, while nuclear energy already covers around one fifth of the country's electricity consumption.
'We have the best-performing nuclear reactors in the world in the IAEA scoreboard for 2026, after Units 1 and 2 at Cernavoda ranked first and third worldwide in the 2025 performance indicators, with an average capacity factor of over 92%. Over the next ten years, Romania will almost triple its nuclear energy production capacity. Why? Because every additional megawatt from nuclear sources means greater energy security and greater competitiveness for our country. Together with renewables, nuclear energy gives us the freedom to have a stronger, more balanced and more robust energy system, including in difficult times. That is why we are continuing the projects at Cernavoda through the refurbishment of Unit 1 and the development of Units 3 and 4 using CANDU reactor technology, while at Doicesti we are developing the first Small Modular Reactor project in Europe. This means not only energy produced in Romania, but also investment, technology, jobs, supply chains and the chance to turn strategic projects into real development,' Bogdan Ivan said.
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