Cernavodă nuclear plant upgrade more feasible than SMR project in Doicești – Romania’s PM

Although Romania’s state-owned Nuclearelectrica has approved the final investment decision for a 462 MW nuclear power plant with small modular reactors (SMR), Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan does not expect the project to be completed any time soon, given its high estimated cost and complexity. He also believes that the ongoing modernization and expansion of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant is more feasible.

Bolojan said that an “immediate investment” in the SMR facility in Doicești in Dâmbovița county is unlikely, given the large amount of money that needs to be secured, the complexity of such projects, and the fact that it is still in initial phases.

The SMR project in Doicești would cost up to USD 7 billion

“Such investments take five to six years,” Bolojan told Europa FM, as reported by Profit.ro. He also said that the project could cost between USD 6 billion and USD 7 billion.

Last week, Nuclearelectrica approved the final investment decision for the SMR facility, which would use the VOYGR small modular reactor technology of the United States–based NuScale. The plan is to build and test one of the six 77 MW units before deciding whether to go ahead with the remaining five.

The facility is planned for construction on the site of a former coal-fired power plant.

Bolojan: Romania should focus on Cernavodă nuclear power plant expansion

Bolojan also said that Romania should focus on the ongoing investment projects at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, which include the refurbishment of unit 1, estimated at over EUR 3.5 billion, and the construction of units 3 and 4, worth about EUR 7 billion.

He noted that the project at Cernavodă, Romania’s only nuclear power plant, is based on a technology that Romania has operated for years, adding that he believes it is “more feasible than this new type of investment.”

The overhaul of unit 1 at Cernavodă began in September 2025

The overhaul of Cernavodă’s unit 1 was launched in September 2025 by an international consortium led by South Korean state-owned Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP). The refurbishment will extend the operating life of the 700 MW reactor by 30 years.