BREAKING Nuclearelectrica a încheiat un memorandum cu o companie americană pentru posibila construcție a unui mini-reactor în România

Compania Nuclearelectrica a încheiat marți un memorandum de înțelegere cu compania americană NuSclae pentru schimb de informații legat de tehnologia inovatoare a NuScale, potrivit unui comunicat publicat pe BusinessWire. Acordul a fost semnat în prezența Secretarului american pentru Energie, Rick Perry.

Scopul înțelegerii este pentru a evalua posibila dezvoltare, licențiere și construcție în România a unui mini-reactor modular realizat cu tehnologia americană.

NuScale, companie dezvoltată cu finanțarea Departamentului pentru Energie, a dezvoltat o tehnologie nouă – realizarea unor reactoare de dimensiuni mici, cu consum redus de resurse, potrivit propriei prezentări.

Anunțul privind înțelegerea cu compania americană vine în contextul discuțiilor îndelungate dintre guvernul României și companii chineze din domeniul energiei. Aceste discuții nu s-au finalizat însă cu un acord concret.

Tehnologia SMR a NuScale este prima si singura la nivel global supusa unei evaluari de certificare a proiectului de catre Comisia Nucleara de Reglementare (NRC) din Statele Unite, potrivit unui comunicat al NuclearElectrica. Evaluarea proiectului realizata de NRC este stabilita a fi finalizata in septembrie 2020. NuScale a semnat de asemenea Memorandumuri de Intelegere pentru evaluarea tehnologiei SMR cu Iordania si Canada.

NuScale dezvolta o centrala nucleara pe baza de reactoare modulare cu apa usoara pentru a furniza electricitate, incalzire termica, desalinizare. Proiectul innovator al reactorului mic modular (SMR) are la baza o constructie modulara integral fabricata de NuScale capabila sa genereze 60 MW de electricitate utilizand o versiune sigura, redusa ca dimensiune si scalabila a tehnologiei reactoarelor cu apa sub presiune. Proiectul scalabil al NuScale: o centrala nucleara poate acomoda pana la 12 module individuale, care ofera beneficiile unei tehnologii fara emisii de carbon si reduce angajamentele financiare asociate unei centrale nucleare cu o productie de ordinul gigawatilor. Investitorul majoritar al NuScale este Fluor Corporation, o companie globala de inginerie, procurare si constructie cu o traditie de 60 de ani in industria nucleara comerciala. NuScale are sediul in Portland, Oregon si birouri in Corvallis, Ore.; Rockville, Md.; Charlotte, N.C.; Richland, Wash.; Arlington, Va.; si Londra, UK.

Foto: Rick Perry (InquamPhotos / Octav Ganea)

Comunicatul integral (original, lb engleză):

PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mar 19, 2019–Today, NuScale Power announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica SA (SNN SA), a Romanian energy company, to exchange business and technical information on NuScale’s innovative nuclear technology. The goal of the agreement is to evaluate the development, licensing and construction of a NuScale small modular reactor (SMR) for a potential similar long-term solution in Romania. The agreement is the latest sign of growing international interest in NuScale’s innovative nuclear technology.

“With many years of experience in nuclear power, SNN SA understands the unique energy needs of Romania,” said John Hopkins, NuScale Power Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “NuScale looks forward to showcasing our safe, scalable, and reliable nuclear technology, and collaborating with SNN SA to determine what role NuScale’s technology can play in Romania’s energy future.”

Nuclear power currently provides 20 percent of domestic energy in Romania. Since its founding in 1998, SNN SA has operated the only nuclear power plants in Romania.

“The Department of Energy applauds this important agreement to evaluate how small modular reactor technology could be utilized in Romania,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. “DOE has been working to support many innovative approaches to power generation, including this groundbreaking technology. We are enthusiastic about the possibilities for the future and being on the cutting edge of nuclear generation technology.”

“As the only nuclear power provider in Romania, we see great potential in SMRs because of the clean, safe, and affordable power they provide,” said Cosmin Ghita, Chief Executive Officer of Nuclearelectrica. “We look forward to working with NuScale to see how their groundbreaking technology can benefit our customers and power Romania’s energy needs.”

NuScale’s technology is the world’s first and only SMR to undergo design certification review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC is scheduled to complete its review of NuScale’s design in September 2020. NuScale has also signed MOUs to explore the deployment of its SMR technology in Canada and Jordan.

About NuScale Power

NuScale Power is developing a new modular light water reactor nuclear power plant to supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, and other process heat applications. This groundbreaking small modular reactor (SMR) design features a fully factory-fabricated NuScale Power Module™ capable of generating 60 MW of electricity using a safer, smaller, and scalable version of pressurized water reactor technology. NuScale’s scalable design – a power plant can house up to 12 individual power modules – offers the benefits of carbon-free energy and reduces the financial commitments associated with gigawatt-sized nuclear facilities. The majority investor in NuScale is Fluor Corporation, a global engineering, procurement, and construction company with a 60-year history in commercial nuclear power.