SN Nuclearelectrica SA: SMR technology is safe. Agreement signed with NuScale Power on building SMR in Romania

Nuclearelectrica CEO Cosmin Ghita and NuScale Power President and CEO John Hopkins have signed the official agreement documents in Glasgow on Thursday, sealing the partnership on building a small modular nuclear reactor. Modular Reactor – SMR) in Romania. The signing of the documents took place after the US Administration announced on Tuesday that the American company NuScale Power will build a small modular nuclear reactor in Romania.

“Romania will build the first small American modular reactor (SMR) to counter the climate crisis! Today I participated in the signing ceremony of the partnership between Romania and the USA for the implementation of SMRs in our country. Cosmin Ghiță – SNN CEO and John L. Hopkins – CEO – NuScale Power signed today the Teaming Agreement for the implementation of small modular reactors (SMR) of NuScale type in Romania. As a result, our country will become a regional leader in the supply of clean energy, and in the alternative, the coagulation of a local supply chain that will allow Romania to become an investment hub and supplier of NuScale modules to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe! It is a new step that we have taken to strengthen the strategic partnership between Romania and the USA! ”,  Virgil Popescu, Minister of Economy posted on Facebook.

In retort to the Greenpeace’s stance on the nuclear energy, SN Nuclearelectrica SA said in a press release sent today that the nuclear energy is a safe energy source in the decarbonization process, safety and efficiency of small modular reactors.

“At the level of the European Union, nuclear energy provides 50% of energy with low CO2 emissions, providing 1.1 million jobs. Some Member States have already included an increase in nuclear capacity in their energy strategies by 2050: Bulgaria 36%, Czech Republic 54%, Finland 41%, France 38%, Poland 28%, Slovakia 59%, Slovenia 43%, Hungary 58%, and Romania, with the doubling of the current capacity, 27%.

• The European Commission has asked its ‘scientific body’, the Joint Research Center (JRC), a scientific authority at European level, to carry out a specific analysis of nuclear energy. JRC report, published in March 2021, subsequently validated by two independent expert groups (Committee on Health, Environment and Emerging Risks – SCHEER within DG Health / COM and the expert group set up under Article 31 of the EURATOM Treaty), conclusion being that “there are no scientific arguments to indicate that nuclear energy would affect human health and the environment more than other sources of energy production.”
• The International Energy Association study shows that energy demand will increase by 2.1% per year by 2040, especially in developing countries.”

Nuclearelectrica quotes the latest report on electricity costs, from 2020, issued by the International Energy Agency in collaboration with the NEA OECD, which shows that new nuclear projects have a competitive cost compared to other low-carbon sources, especially in systems with an increasing share of intermittent sources, and projects to extend the life of existing nuclear reactors lead to the lowest cost of electricity not only among low-carbon sources but among all energy sources (on average $ 32). / MWh, compared to 50 USD / MWh for wind energy and 56 USD / MWh for solar panels installed in parks, ie on a large scale). The average cost (levelized cost of electricity) for the new high-capacity nuclear power plant started from scratch is 69 USD / MWh compared to a gas plant, 91 USD / MWh, for example. In the case of small modular reactors, given the technical characteristics, this cost is even lower, so nuclear energy is really competitive.

“Nuclearelectrica has over 25 years of experience in the nuclear field, operates to safety and excellence standards two CANDU nuclear units, which are two of the best performing units among the over 400 nuclear power plants in the world, and has a team of recognized nuclear experts and certificates at international level, by the associations, authorities and regulators of the nuclear industry: CNCAN, the National Council for the Regulation of Nuclear Activities, WANO (World Association of Nuclear Operators), INPO (Institute of Nuclear Power Operators), NEA (Nuclear Energy Agency), IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association). Nuclearelectrica has all the prerequisites to continue to develop and operate safely both large reactors, CNADU type (such as those from Cernavoda), and small modular reactors in the future. Nuclearelectrica has a strategic role at national level, contributing with over 20% of the total energy needs and with 33% of the total production of clean energy, without CO2. After the completion of its strategic projects, this contribution will increase exponentially, supporting the national energy system to achieve energy stability and security through clean energy,” the national energy company says in a press release.

SMR technology, small modular reactors    

As for the small modular reactors, Nuclearelectrica points out that NuScale is the first and only company to receive approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (in August 2020), SMR being recognized as safe and able to begin development efforts. “With this last stage completed, NuScale power plants can be developed given that the regulator has approved the safety aspects of NuScale technology. The company is in a process of development in several states, including the USA (the most advanced stage), Canada, Poland, having a chain of potential partners, as well as the delivery capacity of small modular reactors in the USA and abroad in this decade. Modular reactors generate energy without carbon emissions, minimizing the impact on the environment, can be built on the sites of coal-fired power plants that will be closed, being able to solve energy problems for local communities, at cost and stable prices, with multiple socio-economic benefits and creates new jobs, trains a new generation of engineers, contributes projects to the local economy and industry).”

According to Nuclearelectrica, about 70 SMR concepts are being developed at different stages of implementation as well as at different stages of the licensing process, demonstrating the interest and innovation in the field and the efforts of regulatory agencies to license SMR. “NuScale owns the first SMR-type reactor approved by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and will follow all necessary licensing steps in the EU and interested countries. Romania has over 25 years of safe operation in the nuclear field and a responsible regulator, CNCAN. NuScale will follow all the regulatory steps necessary for licensing in Romania before implementation.NuScale’s activity is not limited to Romania. Currently, the company has memoranda of understanding with 11 other countries, which are interested and are considering the implementation of a NuScale power plant. In the US in May 2021, NuScale signed a memorandum of understanding to assess the implementation of NuScale’s advanced nuclear technology in the Central Washington region, and as part of the Carbon Dioxide Energy Project (CFPP), launched in 2015 and underway. advanced stages of development, a NuScale plant with 6 modules SMR is being developed, a project that will benefit 27 US member states of the UAMPS initiative in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, UAMPS being in discussions with potential participants in the CFPP in Montana , Wyoming, Arizona and Washington.”

The Romanian state-owned energy company assures that the NuScale’s SMR technology can stop self-cooling for an unlimited period of time, without the intervention of an operator, without the need for additional water and without the need for electricity. “This capability is achieved through the use of a simplified, fully passive safety system that uses natural forces of physics (eg, convection, conduction, and gravity) over the use of power supplies and external equipment to maintain reactor safety. The SMR project has remarkable improvements in safety features compared to the currently operating reactor fleet.”