Nuclearelectrica, the operator of Romania’s only nuclear power station at Cernavodă, said on 12 January that its shareholders have approved the final investment decision for a 462 MW small modular reactor (SMR) project in the southern commune of Doicesti, around 90 km northwest of the capital Bucharest, which will use technology developed by US-based NuScale Power.

The company's shareholders, including the energy ministry, approved a credit line of up to $243m (€205m) to RoPower Nuclear, with $6m earmarked for immediate pre-engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) activities, Nuclearelectrica said in a statement.

The pre-EPC budget for the project is estimated at around $600m. Pre-EPC activities will begin in May and include geotechnical investigations, continuing the licensing process, finalising pre-EPC contract negotiations and negotiating contracts for long-lead items.

The proposed site for the Doicesti SMR is on a former coal power plant. NuScale confirmed last year that infrastructure had been removed at the site to allow construction to begin.