The Cernavodă and Doicești projects continue; for SMRs, the final decision could be made at the end of the year or in 2026 – Burduja

The projects at Cernavodă and Doicești are still going ahead, they are on schedule, and next year we will have all the necessary data to make the final investment decision in the case of small modular reactors, declared the Minister of Energy, Sebastian Burduja.

‘The investments at Doicești and Cernavodă are still going ahead, they are on schedule. For reactors 3 and 4, you know that last year we signed that contract in Baku with the consortium with a strong American presence, Fluor and Sargent & Lundy, two renowned companies, Ansaldo plus the Canadians from AtkinsRealis. The project, I am convinced, will happen. It is the most important contract and, from my point of view, there is nothing that can happen that we will not see the reactors in the horizon of 2031 – 2032, with the reservation that there may be certain delays in a nuclear project. It happens all over the world, but that is the objective,’ said Burduja, in a press conference.

Regarding the small modular reactor (SMR) project in Doicești, the head of Energie said that a final investment decision could be made at the earliest by the end of this year or in 2026.

‘For SMRs, we are in FEED 2, so it is the detailed study stage and, in an optimistic calendar, at the end of the year, if not, somewhere during next year, we will have all the necessary data to make the final investment decision. So, we will know exactly how much it costs, who the possible partners are, who is putting up the money and to what extent Romania can take this project to the end. And that is where Fluor is involved. NuScale is the American technology majority owned by Fluor. It is a Texas company, very solid and, by the way, these collaborations were started in the first Trump administration. So, I think we will have the support of the American side,’ Sebastian Burduja believes.

On November 15, 2024, in Baku, representatives of Nuclearelectrica and Energonuclear (the project company) signed the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) contract, LNTP phase, for the development of Units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant.

The EPCM contract was concluded between EnergoNuclear, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nuclearelectrica, and the joint venture FCSA formed by Fluor BV, Fluor Energy Transition Inc. Wilmington Bucharest Branch, AtkinsRealis, Ansaldo Nucleare SpA, S&L Engineers, Ltd. and Sargent & Lundy Energie SRL. This contract is structured in two essential phases: LNTP (Limited Notice to Proceed) and FNTP (Final Notice to Proceed).

Under the LNTP phase, the EPCM contract provides design, development and project management, engineering, technical assistance and procurement assistance, all aimed at ensuring an integrated quality assurance system, so that Units 3 and 4 are ready for commercial operation. After the completion of this phase and the re-examination of the feasibility based on updated technical and economic indicators, the final investment decision can be made, which will allow the actual start of construction on site.

The expansion of CANDU Units 3 and 4 has a major impact on the economy and energy sustainability of Romania. Through this ambitious project, Romania will create approximately 19,000 indirect jobs and contribute 33% to the total national energy production through nuclear energy. CO2 emissions will also be reduced by 20 million tons annually once the four units are operational.

Also last year, on July 24, SN Nuclearelectrica SA and RoPower Nuclear, the project company dedicated to small modular reactors (SMRs) at Doicești, announced the signing of the Front-End Engineering and Design Phase 2 (FEED 2) contract with Fluor Corporation.

The SMR Doicești project aims to develop the first nuclear power plant with NuScale Power SMR technology in Europe.

The collaboration between Nuclearelectrica, RoPower Nuclear, Nova Power & Gas (part of the E-INFRA group), Fluor, Samsung C&T Corporation and Sargent & Lundy will facilitate the development and implementation of NuScale small modular reactor (SMR) plants in Romania, leveraging the expertise of these companies in the field of nuclear energy. According to the FEED phase 2 contract, Fluor is committed to providing RoPower Nuclear with the design and engineering services necessary for the implementation of the SMR Doicești nuclear project, according to a press release from SNN, submitted to the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

At the end of the FEED 2 phase, Romania will have an updated cost estimate for the project, an updated project schedule, as well as the design and all nuclear safety and security analyses related to the project, necessary for the final investment decision. The SMR plant using NuScale technology will generate nearly 200 permanent jobs at the plant, 1,500 jobs during the construction phase, and 2,300 jobs in production. The Doicești SMR plant will help Rom