Six firms unite for SMR deployment in Central & Eastern Europe

The firms’ combined experience will provide support for plant deployment in critical areas of development, such as project planning, licensing, permitting, engineering, procurement, construction, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, financing, and local resources capitalization, Nuclearelectrica said in a press release, “thus enabling regional SMR like-minded states to benefit from the experience and deploy SMRs safely and in line with the national energy needs.”

In September of last year, Nuclearelectrica and E-Infra subsidiary Nova Power & Gas—a supplier and distributor of electricity and natural gas in Romania—launched a joint venture, RoPower Nuclear, for the development of a NuScale SMR. RoPower was tasked with developing a VOYGR-6 power plant (housing six 77-MWe NuScale Power Modules for a total of 462 MWe) this decade at the site of a former coal-fired plant owned by E-Infra in Doicești, Romania.

Also last year, NuScale signed an MOU with Samsung C&T and two other South Korean companies—Doosan Enerbility and GS Energy—to explore the deployment of VOYGR facilities in Asia.

Signers’ language: “NuScale is excited to continue our collaboration with our partners to advance the deployment of our leading SMR technology to Central and Eastern Europe and in particular in Romania with the Doicești project,” stated John Hopkins, the Portland, Ore.–based company’s president and chief executive officer. “Partnerships like those announced today are critical for SMR deployment and in meeting our global decarbonization goals.”

Nuclearelectrica CEO Cosmin Ghita noted that the Romanian project “will ensure energy security, local and regional development, former coal-based facility repowering, and will bring multiple economic and social benefits. From financing support to technical support, SMR deployment in Romania and internationally benefits from the joined effort of highly experienced and skilled states and organizations.”

Jim Breuer, group president of energy solutions for Fluor, NuScale’s largest investor, said he looks forward to collaborating on “this important initiative to provide clean and reliable baseload power to Central and Eastern Europe,” adding that “with this project, Romania will become a leader in progressing Europe’s all-important energy security and decarbonization goals.”