Cosmin Ghiță, Nuclearelectrica: “We are preparing the feasibility and bankability studies for the SMR project to have an investment decision”

“The Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project at Doicești continues and preparations are underway to carry out feasibility and bankability studies that will determine an investment decision and the next steps,” said Cosmin Ghiță, CEO of Nuclearelectrica, at Energy Forum organized by Financial Intelligence.

“The SMR project continues. We are in the Feed 2 phase at Doicești, where we have both site assessments underway and the development of the plant project related to our grid. We are preparing to carry out feasibility and bankability studies that can substantiate an investment decision and move forward with the next steps. When we have all the elements ready, we will submit them to shareholders for approval for a final decision,” explained Cosmin Ghiță.

“Nuclear energy comes to complement other types of energy that we currently have. In order to be able to cope with the entire electricity requirement that is forecast to be consumed by the end of the decade and in the next decade, especially if we also take into account the phenomenon of data centers, which are highly energy-intensive, the industrialization programs that are currently promoted at the government level and other elements, we will need a surplus of electricity and this cannot be achieved by just one source. That is why we need a mix, and in this mix I see large nuclear power plants as being able to represent a band, a backbone of the energy system, and SMR power plants can come to bring those functions that coal-fired power plants used to perform in a system that can be a little more volatile due to a larger footprint of renewable energy production sources,” he added.