Nuclearelectrica claims, in a message published on LinkedIn, that it reaffirms its commitment to accelerate strategic nuclear projects, including the small reactor project in Doicești.
“The message of the European Commission is correct. We need to accelerate nuclear projects with new, large and small reactors, but also large-scale retrofits. Nuclearelectrica reaffirms its commitment to accelerate strategic nuclear projects in Romania, including SMR. The recent messages sent by the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra in support of the development of nuclear energy and the SMR industry confirm and consolidate a correct strategic path”, the company claims.
“Nuclearelectrica is one of the development engines of the European nuclear industry. We have invested in SMR technology, where we have the most mature project in Europe, with a site independently assessed by the IAEA, with a technology certified by the American regulator NRC and a team of formidable professionals involved in a project with enormous potential. The emerging SMR industry is becoming a certainty”, says Nuclearelectrica’s CEO, Cosmin Ghiță.
The European Commission has conveyed through the voice of Wopke Hoekstra, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, that “Europe must advance much faster and on a much larger scale in the development and implementation of SMRs and extend the lifetime of existing reactors”.
Nuclear energy is an essential part of the energy solution at European level, and the expansion of nuclear capacities, with an emphasis on small modular reactors (SMRs), means for the Member States an energy system powered by cheap, reliable, clean energy, capable of helping the EU reduce its dependencies.
“The European Commission’s message is correct and useful, because it marks a reality that we have been betting on for 10 years. Refurbishment to increase the lifespan of reactor 1, the construction of two new nuclear units at Cernavodă and the SMR project at Doicești are a mix of projects valued at approximately 20 billion euros that place Romania in an area of respecting international commitments, but also one of leadership in an emerging industry”, adds Cosmin Ghiță.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said: “While investments will drive us forward, our Small Modular Reactor (SMR) strategy will set the direction. Our strategy builds on the work of the European SMR Industrial Alliance, which currently has around 400 members. We have established a common EU approach that avoids fragmentation and ensures global competitiveness. Our goal is to have Europe’s first SMR project operational by the early 2030s and to become a leader in advanced fourth-generation technologies.”
