Romanian electricity producer and the operator of country’s sole nuclear power plant Nuclearelectrica announced that US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has awarded a grant of 14 million euros to RoPower Nuclear, the project company for the development of the small modular reactors (SMR) recently established by Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power & Gas. The grant will be used for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) study to advance the development project of Romania’s first SMR nuclear power plant.
The preliminary study will include key project development elements such as a layout and plot plan for the site, a budget estimate, and an environmental impact analysis execution plan. The FEED study builds on a recently completed 1.2 million dollars USTDA study that identified suitable sites, technology options, and a licensing roadmap for the SMR project. The FEED study will incorporate the recommendations of the IAEA SEED mission requested by Nuclearelectrica in August 2022.
The first power plant based on the NuScale SMR design is expected to begin operation in the Unit- ed States by the end of the decade. The USTDA funded FEED study will facilitate the deployment of this design to Romania by focusing on its adaptation to site-specific requirements at the preferred site Doicesti Power Station, which is the location of a former coal-fired power plant.
