Press release
The Romanian Atomic Forum, "Romatom", representing the Romanian Nuclear Industry Association, greets the announcement of representatives of the United States of America and Romania at the UN Conference for Climate Change (COP26) on the development of small modular reactors (SMR) in Romania.
SMR technology is the most recent progress of the nuclear industry worldwide, the result of a long research and innovation process designed to respond effectively and surely the evolution of consumption requirements of the population and industry.SMR offers lower costs and construction period, flexibility in tracking the consumer curve having the capacity to operate including in a hybrid system with intermittent renewable energies, modularity in construction, more permissive criteria and can be located where they are necessary to cover consumption, thus contributing to the reduction of energy poverty, the stability of the energy systems through the energy systems.Touching the decarbonization targets assumed at the EU level.
Romatom considers that the positioning of Romania in the first line of the countries that will implement the SMR technology as a solution to ensure the internal consumption, the energy independence, thus capitalizing the operating experience in the nuclear field in Romania as well as the technological capabilities and the expertise of the local industry.Nuscale technology is among the most advanced international SMR projects between the approximately 50 designs proposed by different companies and the only licensed in the United States by the regulatory authority in the nuclear field.
“The transition to a climatic neutral economy by 2050 with an acceleration of the targets by 2030 puts a significant pressure on the energy production sector which is responsible for about 75% of the total greenhouse gas emissions.The social and economic effects will become more and more visible and for this reason an integrative approach to all sources with low carbon emissions and an intensification of innovations is required.SMR technology responds to environmental requirements and long -term sustainability and is technically and economic efficiency.For a large scale development, which will lead to standardization and lower the construction and operation costs, it is necessary to assume concrete actions at present.In the context of the gradual decrease of the energy contribution based on fossil fuels, SMR will represent a solution for the reuse of some industrial assets from use and the reintegration into the field of the personnel affected by the energy transition.” - Lucian Rusu, Romatom president.
Several countries such as Bulgaria, Poland and Canada have expressed their interest in implementing nuscal technology.The decision of Romania to act in the direction of continuing the cooperation with nuscale comes as the natural stage in a historical collaboration with the United States of America by signing a memorandum of understanding in 2019 between Nuclearelectrica SA and Nuscale for evaluating the development, authorization and construction of a nuscal SMR in Romania, followed by the intialization of an inter-governmental agreement between the US and the US agreement2020 for cooperation in the civil nuclear field, ratified in 2021 by the Government of Romania and the allocation in January 2021 of a non-reimbursable grant by US-TDA in order to identify potential locations for the location of a SMR in Romania.
“The countries of the world are heading towards new technologies without carbon emissions, dispatcher, economic efficiency.Romania is no exception and aims to be in the first line of implementing small modular reactors technology in Europe.This strategic positioning will provide well -qualified and paid jobs in Romania, development opportunities for the local nuclear industry, an advantage for Romanian research and engineering and more clean, safe and stable energy for Romanians.The development of the SMR in Romania, complementary with the completion of the project of units 3 and 4 from Cernavoda CNE and of the Retehnologization of the Unit 1 Cernavoda, is part of the commitment of Romania assumed by the national plan integrated in the field of energy and climatic changes to reach the decaronization targets, protecting, in this process, the workers affected by the local industry, the local and the local industry,reducing Romania's dependence on energy imports" - Teodor Chirica, honorary president Romatom
About Romatom:
Romatom was set up on January 10, 2001, currently incorporating 44 companies and associations specialized in the provision of services, products and works for the nuclear field and related fields.
The association aims to promote the use for peaceful nuclear energy in Romania and to support the national nuclear program, as well as the coordination of all the activities assumed by accession and participation of the Association in Foratoma - the European Atomic Forum.At the same time, Romatom advocates for the protection and promotion of the interests of its members, representing the voice of the national nuclear industry, considering the technological and acquired know-how level, in order to fruiting them in practice. https://romatom.ro/
References:
ABLE HOUSE WITH ABLE, 02.11.2021
Communicated SN Nuclearelectrica SA, 02.11.2021
Articol World NuclearNews, 03.11.2021
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/NuScale-SMR-planned-for-Romania
