By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis visited the headquarters of Doosan Enerbility in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, on April 24 and met with Chairman & CEO Park Gee-won of the company.

Romania is in the process of building its first small modular reactor (SMR) power plant. Romania's RoPower is planning to build a 462-megawatt (MW) SMR plant at the site of a coal-fired power plant in the Doişeşti region.

US-based NuScale Power will supply six 77-megawatt (MW) SMRs to the plant, and Doosan Enerbility will manufacture and deliver reactor modules, the core equipment, to NuScale Power.

President Iohannis visited Doosan Enerbility's Forging and Nuclear Power Plant to inspect the forging materials for NuScale Power's SMRs, facilities dedicated to SMR production, and to review the project's future schedule.

Doosan Enerbility has been developing SMR-related technologies such as PM-HIP (metal powder hot isostatic pressing) and electron beam welding based on its experience in manufacturing nuclear power plant main equipment since the 1980s.

It has also secured the right to supply core equipment through equity investment in NuScale Power along with domestic investors.

In 2019, the company began a manufacturability review of NuScale Power's reactor modules, which was completed in 2021, and is currently preparing to manufacture all equipment. The NuScale Power SMR was the first SMR model to receive design certification from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2020.

“Romania aims to lead the decarbonization of the region by building a supply chain in the clean energy industry,” said President Iohannis. “Partnering with Korea's leading nuclear power company is important for securing Romania's energy and economic future.”

In response, Chairman Park said, “We will closely follow the preparations for the construction of Romania's first SMR and contribute to the country's stable supply of clean energy.”