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The first simulator of a small modular reactor control room to be installed at Politehnica University of Bucharest

25 May

The first simulator of a small modular reactor control room to be installed at Politehnica University of Bucharest

Press release

The first simulator of a small modular reactor control room to be installed at Politehnica University of Bucharest

Nuclearelectrica and NuScale announce the plans to install an international center for learning opportunities in nuclear science and engineering

 Bucharest, May 25th 2022

At the Small Modular and Advanced Reactor Workshop Planning IV held in Bucharest, co-hosted by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Nuclearelectrica and NuScale announced the partnership with Universitatea Politehnica to develop the NuScale Energy Exploration Center (“E2 Center”) in collaboration with the U.S. and the Romanian governments.

The NuScale small modular reactor (“SMR”) simulator will be installed at the University Politehnica of Bucharest to support workforce capacity building of Romania’s next generation of nuclear experts, technologists and operators. As the first simulator of a small modular reactor control room in Europe, and the 4th in the world, this collaboration highlights the rapidly growing global support for NuScale, and its recognition as a clean energy solution for the future.

This E2 Center capacity-building deployment is made possible by U.S. Department of State (“DOS”) funding under the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) program.

We are pleased to provide Romania with a SMR simulator under our FIRST program,” said Bonnie Jenkins, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. “The E2 Center will strengthen our strategic partnership with Romania and further Romania’s goals of becoming a leader in the secure and safe deployment of SMRs and workforce development in the region.”

We are proud Romania will accommodate the first E2 Center in Europe, an essential tool for Nuclearectrica’s first small modular reactor operators and for forming a new generation of nuclear engineers for Romania and for the region. Romania has more advantages, which qualify it as one of the first countries to deploy the first SMR in Europe: more than 25 years of experience in operating its nuclear plant at an excellent standard of nuclear safety, productivity and workforce performance. Also, Romania has a renowned school of nuclear engineers, a vast nuclear industry supply chain and an appreciated nuclear research and development center. Furthermore, Romania and the U.S. have a strong partnership in the nuclear industry going back to the early 80s. Placing the E2 Center in Politehnica University will continue our long and successful collaboration with the same goal: to form a nucleus of excellence for the nuclear industry in Romania”, Cosmin Ghita CEO Nuclearelectrica

We are aware that Politehnica University and engineers play a strategic role for Romania’s energy future, and this partnership is in line with the national priorities we already support. We aim to develop Romania’s capacity to produce nuclear energy. It is the first center of its kind in Europe, and the partnership we make with Nuclearelectrica and NuScale will give us the opportunity to train highly specialized professionals who can manage an independent energy network. I believe that the coming years are very important in this regard, because we have the opportunity to develop highly qualified engineers for the future energy production capacities.”, Mihnea Costoiu, rector, President Politehnica University of Bucharest.

The E2 Center will serve as a critical workforce development tool for Nuclearelectrica and the Romanian nuclear workforce, enabling them to conduct research and training related to the use of SMRs for flexible, secure and safe operation, demonstration of real-time response to normal and off-normal conditions, and electricity generation’, said John Hopkins, President and Chief Executive Officer of NuScale. “To date, NuScale has opened three E2 Centers at U.S. universities, including Oregon State UniversityUniversity of Idaho, and Texas A&M University.”

The E2 Center is an innovative learning environment that offers users a hands-on opportunity to apply nuclear science and engineering principles through simulated, real-world nuclear power plant operation scenarios. The E2 Center employs state-of-the-art computer modeling within a simulator of the NuScale SMR power plant control room. Users will have the opportunity to take on the role of “control room operator” at a 12-unit SMR plant to learn about the revolutionary safety and smarter features unique to NuScale’s technology. The installation of the E2 Center and training for the instructors who will use the center will be targeted for completion by late 2023.

This announcement is a key component of NuScale Power and Romania’s state nuclear power corporation S.N. Nuclearelectrica S.A. (“Nuclearelectrica”) teaming agreement. Under the agreement, the organizations will take steps toward deploying a first NuScale VOYGRTM 6-module, 462 MWe, power plant in Romania this decade. Romania has the potential to accommodate the first deployment of SMRs in Europe and to become a catalyst for SMRs in the region, as well as a base for supporting operatorship of this new technology in other countries.

 

Background information about NuScale SMR technology

In August 2020, NuScale made history as the first and only SMR to receive design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission– a crucial step towards the construction and deployment of this SMR technology. The company maintains strong program momentum toward commercialization of its SMR technology, including supply chain development, standard plant design, planning of plant delivery activities, and startup and commissioning plans. NuScale has already signed contracts with Doosan, Samsung and GS Energy Corporation to advance the development of SMR components.

Memoranda of understanding with companies from various countries have already been signed, such as: KGHM and PBE, Poland; Energy Holding, Bulgaria; OPG, Prodigy Clean Energy, BWXT, Canada; CEZ, Czech Republic etc. A six-module SMR NuScale project is under development will become part of the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), an initiative spearheaded by the public power consortium Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) in the United States.

Japan Bank for International Cooperation’s (JBIC) $ 110 million strategic investment in NuScale Power through a purchase of equity from Fluor Corporation, proves international interest and confirms the strong trust in the NuScale SMR technology.

 

About Nuclearelectrica

The National Company “Nuclearelectrica” S.A. is the national Romanian company producing electricity, heat and nuclear fuel, which operates under the authority of the Romanian Ministry of Energy, the state holding 82.49% of shares and other shareholders, 17.50%, after the listing of the company on the stock exchange in 2013.

SN Nuclearelectrica SA  operates two CANDU nuclear units at Cernavoda NPP, which are two of the most performant units among more than 400 nuclear power plants in the world, a nuclear fuel factory and is in the process of achieving an integrated fuel cycle by acquiring an uranium concentrate processing line to support the company’s long-term investment projects.

Nuclearelectrica has a major role at the national level, contributing over 18% of nuclear energy in total energy production and 33% in total CO2-free energy production in Romania.

www.nuclearelectrica.ro

About NuScale Power

NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR) is poised to meet the diverse energy needs of customers across the world. It has developed small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology to supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, commercial-scale hydrogen production and other process heat applications. The groundbreaking NuScale Power Module™ (NPM), a small, safe pressurized water reactor, can generate 77 megawatts of electricity (MWe) and can be scaled to meet customer needs. NuScale’s 12-module VOYGR™-12 power plant is capable of generating 924 MWe, and NuScale also offers four-module VOYGR-4 (308 MWe) and six-module VOYGR-6 (462 MWe) power plants, as well as other configurations based on customer needs.

Founded in 2007, NuScale is headquartered in Portland, Ore., and has offices in Corvallis, Ore.; Rockville, Md.; Charlotte, N.C.; Richland, Wash.; and London, UK. To learn more, visit NuScale Power’s                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              or follow us on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn and Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

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