RoPower Nuclear, the project company in charge of the construction and commissioning of the small modular reactor (SMR) project at Doicesti in Romania, has signed a contract with Sweden’s Studsvik Scandpower (part of the Studsvik AB group), a leader in nuclear fuel analysis software.
“Nuclear calculation codes are primarily used to simulate and analyse nuclear fuel and reactor safety. We sought an established solution on the market, offered by a company with proven experience in projects applicable to nuclear power plants using the pressurised water reactor (PWR) principle. Studsvik Scandpower met our expectations precisely,” said RoPower Nuclear Technical Director Dan Serbanescu.
He added: “The SMR plant at Doicesti will largely operate on the same technological principles as over 300 other nuclear plants worldwide, with the addition of new safety systems to ensure a high level of nuclear security and economic efficiency. It’s important to note that SMR technology is not entirely new, especially regarding the use of nuclear fuel. It’s a proven technology, backed by nearly half a century of operational experience. That’s why we are working with teams and companies with impeccable reputations in the nuclear area, such as Studsvik Scandpower.”
RoPower Nuclear, established in 2022, is a joint venture, controlled equally by nuclear utility Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN), the operator of the Cernavoda NPP, and private company Nova Power & Gas from the Cluj group E-INFRA. The project is for a 462 MWe NuScale VOYGR-6 SMR (six 77 MWe modules) planned for the site of a former coal-fired power plant in Doicești. RoPower hired NuScale (majority owned by Fluor) to draft the feasibility study for the plant.
SNN and NuScale signed an initial memorandum of understanding (MOU) to investigate possible SMR deployment in 2019 followed by a teaming agreement in 2021 to deploy a NuScale VOYGR-6 power plant in Romania by 2030. A further MOU was signed in 2023 to begin conducting engineering studies, technical reviews, and licensing and permitting activities for the project. Phase 1 of a Front-End Engineering & Design (FEED) study was completed in late 2023, which analysed the preferred site of the first VOYGR-6.
A FEED Phase 2 contract was signed with the US Fluor Corporation in July 2024 under which Fluor will provide RoPower Nuclear with the design and engineering services required for implementation of the project, resulting in an updated cost estimate and schedule as well as the safety and security analyses needed for a final investment decision. The final investment decision is expected in 2026.
Romania’s Ministry of Energy has estimated that the Doicești project will need a budget of €4.9bn ($5.7bn). US Export-Import (Exim) Bank in 2024 approved a final commitment for a $98m loan for pre-project services. The commitment is part of an initial financing package worth $275m, which included expressions of interest from public and private partners from Japan, South Korea and the UAE and significant contributions from other international institutions, such as the US Financial Corporation for International Development (DFC) and private partners.
In November 2023, NuScale cancelled a similar 462 MWe project in the US. The Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) in Idaho would have been the first of its kind in the world. This came after the estimated investment costs for the CFPP were increased by more than 75%, from $5.3bn to $9.3bn.
