The NuScale type reactor passed the last test of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and will practically be the first small modular reactor (SMR) in the world fully authorized, including from the point of view of operational safety, so that Romania will have access to the newest technology, Minister of Energy Virgil Popescu announced on Wednesday.
"Practically, Romania will have access to the latest technology, both from the point of view of the fact that it is small and modular and from the point of view of operational safety and security," said the relevant minister in the podcast moderated by Ionut Cristache.
In March 2019, Nuclearelectrica and NuScale signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to evaluate the development, licensing and construction of a NuScale SMR in Romania, and on October 9, 2020, Romania signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the USA in the field nuclear energy projects, which was also ratified by the Romanian Parliament, by Law no. 199/2021, having broad support and being adopted with a majority of votes.
Moreover, in October 2020, EXIM Bank expressed, through an MOU with the Ministry of Energy, its interest in financing large investment projects in Romania, including nuclear ones, in a total amount of 7 billion USD.
On November 4, 2021, at COP26, NuScale and Nuclearelectrica signed a collaboration agreement to advance the implementation of the first small modular reactor in Europe and at the beginning of 2021 Nuclearelectrica received USTDA funds in the amount of 1.2 million USD to identify and evaluate potential sites for small modular reactors.
On May 24, 2022, Nuclearelectrica, NuScale and E-Infra (the owner of the site) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to analyze the development of the first SMR in Romania on the site of the former thermal power plant at Doicessti, Dambovita County.
Nuclearelectrica S.A. is the national company in Romania that produces electricity, heat and nuclear fuel, which operates under the authority of the Romanian Ministry of Energy, the state owning 82.49% of the shares and other shareholders 17.50%, after the company was listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange in 2013.
Nuclearelectrica has a major role at the national level, contributing over 18% of nuclear energy to total energy production and 33% to carbon-free energy production in Romania.AGERPRES
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