Romania will build its first small modular nuclear reactors with U.S. technology in 2028 in order to produce cleaner energy and reduce the country’s role in climate change, the Romanian presidential office said on Tuesday.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis attended the 26th session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, where John Kerry held talks with the US Special Envoy for Climate Change. According to the statement, it was decided at the meeting that the parties will take further steps to expand U.S.-Romanian nuclear energy cooperation, so that Romania will install small modular nuclear reactors with US support, namely the U.S. company NuScale.
Romania would like to participate in the production of the technology and in the training of professionals who can ensure the introduction of this new technology in other countries in the region. Iohannis stressed that
cooperation on climate change will further strengthen the Romanian-American strategic partnership.
Also on Tuesday, Romanian Energy Minister Virgil Popescu said he would travel to Glasgow on Thursday to finalize an agreement with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on the installation of modular nuclear reactors.
NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR) design consists of units capable of generating 77 megawatts of electricity using a safer, smaller, and scalable version of pressurized water reactor technology. NuScale’s scalable design— power plants that can house up to four, six, or 12 individual power modules — offers the benefits of carbon-free energy and reduces the financial commitments associated with gigawatt-sized nuclear facilities.
Romania currently has a single nuclear plant in Cernavodă near the Black Sea cost, which was built by Canada. The plant’s two reactors produce 1,400 megawatts of power or about 18 percent of country’s power generation capacity.
