Nuclear energy is a strategic decision, directly linked to energy security, prices and the competitiveness of the economy, said Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan on Wednesday.
He is at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he discussed with Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, about 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, I 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 the competitiveness of the economy. I was very firm: we want to decarbonize the economy, but we will do it pragmatically and intelligently. Romania constantly produces stable and clean nuclear energy. And we are counting on this pillar in the long term”, Ivan wrote on his Facebook page, according to Agerpres.
According to the cited source, recent data indicate increasing pressures on the national energy system, with direct effects on the market and the economy.
“The current context speaks for itself: domestic consumption has consistently 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. This 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 Cernavodă (720 MW each), we are accelerating the SMR project at Doicești, the first of its kind in Europe (462 MW), we are responsibly managing the 2027-2029 period, when the re-engineering of Unit 1 will temporarily remove 700 MW from the system, through new gas-fired capacities and stronger interconnections. The decisions we make now will matter for years. And they must be taken anticipatory, not under the pressure of crises”, the Minister of Energy also sent on the social network.