Nuclear energy is one of the few sources capable of covering the clean energy deficit, and Romania has the most efficient nuclear reactors in the world in the scoreboard of the International Atomic Energy Agency and in the next 10 years it will almost triple its production capacities, according to Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan.
He participated, on Tuesday, in Paris, at the Nuclear Energy Summit, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with heads of state and government, ministers, international financial institutions and industry leaders, according to Agerpres.
“In Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region, energy no longer just means consumption. It means safety, 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 need to 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 has 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 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 over 30 years of operation in maximum safety and efficiency conditions at Cernavoda, and nuclear energy already covers approximately one fifth of the national electricity consumption.
“We have the world’s most efficient nuclear reactors in the IAEA scoreboard for 2026, after Units 1 and 2 at Cernavodă ranked 1st and 3rd worldwide in the performance indicators for 2025, with an average capacity factor of over 92%. In the next 10 years, Romania will almost triple its nuclear energy production capacities. Why? Because every additional MW from nuclear sources means more energy security and more competitiveness for our country. Because, together with renewables, nuclear energy means 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 Cernavodă, by refurbishing Reactor 1 and developing Units 3 and 4 with CANDU technology, and at Doicești we are developing the first SMR project in Europe. This means not only energy produced in Romania, but also investments, technology, jobs, supply chains and the chance to to transform strategic projects into real development”, said Bogdan Ivan.