The small modular reactor (SMR) initiative at Doicesti, Romania, is facing heightened scrutiny as interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan raises concerns about its economic viability. The project, spearheaded by state-owned Nuclearelectrica in collaboration with private firm Nova Power and Gas, has reportedly seen investments exceeding 240 million dollars, despite the fact that the underlying SMR technology from NuScale Power has yet to achieve commercial deployment globally.
Prime Minister Bolojan has openly criticized the focus on the Doicesti project, suggesting that Nuclearelectrica should prioritize enhancing the existing nuclear infrastructure at NPP Cernavoda. He advocates for advancing the construction of units 3 and 4 at Cernavoda, which he asserts would yield more immediate energy production benefits compared to the current SMR venture.
The financial structure of the Doicesti project has also come under examination. Nova Power and Gas holds a 50% stake in the joint venture and previously acquired the site before transferring it to the partnership. In light of concerns regarding property valuation, Nova Power and Gas defended their transaction, stating that the site was sold for approximately 24 million euros and included significant assets such as a 50-hectare industrial platform, electrical infrastructure, a transformer station, internal roads, office buildings, and other operational facilities. This valuation has been corroborated by assessments from three independent consulting firms.
In response to ongoing criticism, Nuclearelectrica affirmed that development activities are proceeding as planned and are currently in preliminary engineering phases. The company highlighted that FEED 1 and FEED 2 analyses were completed in 2023 and are expected to continue into 2024.
PM Bolojan’s recent remarks mark a notable shift in official sentiment regarding the project’s feasibility. He expressed apprehension about the overall financing structure necessary for developing a six-module facility, which could demand investments between 6 billion and 7 billion dollars.
Earlier this year, Nuclearelectrica made a final investment decision to advance preparatory activities for the SMR project. However, initial plans indicate that only the first reactor module of 77 MW will be constructed initially; further developments will depend on its commercial and technical success.
The timeline suggests that commercial operations for the first reactor module could commence by July 2033, while full operational capacity for the entire planned 462 MW SMR complex may be achieved by late 2034, contingent upon future agreements concerning subsequent modules.
