Romania to build six small modular nuclear reactors near Bucharest with US financing
Romania, along with the United States, is set to build 6 small modular reactors about 90 kilometers from Bucharest. The reactors can power 46,000 homes and could create 4,000 jobs, amounting to an investment of USD 6 billion partly financed by the US.
The reactors, located in the locality of Doicești, Dâmbovița county, could be operational by the end of 2029. Designed in the United States, the reactors will be implemented for the first time ever in Romania.
The country’s minister of energy, Sebastian Burduja, says that the project will see Romania transformed into a trailblazer in the nuclear field.
“For too many years, we've been used to catching up, often breathlessly, to the past of others. It's time we write the future of the world,” Burduja said, cited by Digi24.
“I believe that one day, and that day is not far off, because we are targeting the 2029-2030 horizon, Romania can be on the world map with the first nuclear power plant, the first small modular reactors. Right here in Doicești,” he also stated, cited by Libertatea.
Minister Burduja argued that discussions with American experts and officials have confirmed the safety of the technology used for the residents of Doicești commune.
Another similar plant was set to be built in the US state of Idaho, but the project was scrapped due to high costs amounting to roughly USD 9.2 billion. The plant in Romania, by comparison, will be cheaper.
“The Idaho project did not benefit from infrastructure, transformers, electrical lines, or river water. As such, it required more engineering improvements,” said Cosmin Ghiță, CEO of Nuclearelectrica, Romania’s sole nuclear energy provider.
The US Ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, announced that EXIM Bank and the US International Development Finance Corporation will finance the SMR project in Dâmbovița county with a combined USD 4 billion. Works are scheduled to last until 2030.
“I have just had the opportunity to tour the Doicești Small Modular Reactor (SMR) site. The rapid progress here is a testament to Romania’s vision, guiding us toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. As I have just seen, Romania is poised to become a regional clean energy hub. The Doicesti SMR project is at the forefront of this transformation,” said the American ambassador cited in the press release.
“Experience has shown that the American Nuscale technology being used in the project is safe. As the sole existing commercial SMR technology approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, it comes with assurances of the highest levels of safety and security. The United States is committed to deploying these types of cutting-edge solutions to combat the climate crisis and expand access to clean energy,” she added.
Locals hope that the new plant will mean more jobs in the area, but some worry that the technology is dangerous, despite assurances from the authorities. The new reactors will be built on the site of an old coal-fired power plant, which operated from 1953 to 2009.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos | George Călin)
