Nuclearelectrica: Romania is a full member of the European Industrial Alliance for Small Modular Reactors (SMR)
Romania is a full member of the European Industrial Alliance for small modular reactors (SMR), along with 7 other selected projects, one of which is the ALFRED project from Pitesti, according to Nuclearelectrica.
Romania is a full member of the IEA for small modular reactors
Advanced nuclear technologies are of major interest at international and European level. The recently adopted EU strategy for the development of SMRs confirms the important contribution of this technology to the EU's energy and industrial policy, and Romania is among the first EU states to develop advanced nuclear technologies, thus fulfilling the EU objective of having operational SMRs in the early 2030s.
Nuclear power is once again at the heart of energy policy – not just as a low-carbon technology, but also as a key tool for ensuring security of supply, reindustrialisation, grid stability and supporting new electricity-intensive sectors.
The Paris summit itself marked a turning point compared to previous international meetings on nuclear energy. While in previous years the focus had been mainly on the contribution of nuclear power to decarbonisation, the 2026 meeting was dominated by concerns related to energy security, investment, competitiveness and economic sovereignty.
At the heart of the discussions were the vulnerability created by the dependence on imported fossil fuels, the need for a stable source of electricity for the industries of the future and the need to quickly mobilize capital for new investments in energy infrastructure.
“The central issue now is not just about planning nuclear programs, but actually building them. Nuclear power is proving its efficiency and multiple advantages in energy and climate policies. Nuclear technologies, SMR, the ALFRED project are part of the future of advanced nuclear energy and will become, in the medium term, part of the solution for energy security, decarbonization, availability, but also energy flexibility. Moreover, ALFRED technology has the potential to make a decisive contribution to the full integration of the nuclear fuel cycle at European level.
Both projects, SMR and ALFRED, are moving forward. Both projects position Romania on the European energy map. Out of the 8 projects of the European Industrial Alliance for SMR, 2 are developed on the territory of Romania. We are directly involved in the development of the SMR project and we follow with interest the development of the ALFRED project, Nuclearelectrica signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the FALCON consortium in 2019. We anticipate the moment of operation of both advanced technologies in Romania and their benefits for national energy security”said Cosmin Ghiță, General Manager of Nuclearelectrica.
Nuclear energy is mentioned as a solution in the RepowerEU plan and in recent EU strategic documents 🇪🇺, such as the Clean Industry Pact and the Affordable Energy Action Plan. The scenario “basic” requires investments of approximately EUR 241 billion in present value terms, with the construction of large capacity reactors representing EUR 205 billion and life extensions EUR 36 billion.
