Nova Power & Gas: Continuing to Invest with Confidence in the Doicești SMR Project
Nova Power & Gas, part of the E-INFRA group, reaffirms its strong commitment to the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project in Doicești, continuing to invest with confidence in its development. Company representatives confirm that Nova’s own investments in Europe’s first SMR project will proceed in line with the schedule and terms agreed with project partners in Romania and in the United States.
‘What was once one of Romania’s largest coal-fired power plants is now an environmentally remediated site, fully prepared for the development of an SMR project, both above and below ground. Between 2022 and 2025, Nova’s investments supported complex, large-scale works designed to meet stringent environmental requirements and the specific standards applicable to an SMR nuclear project,’ said Septimiu Costea, CEO of Nova Power & Gas.
Nova Power & Gas holds a 50% stake in RoPower Nuclear, the project company established to develop the first SMR project in Europe, located in Doicești, Romania.
Between 2022 and 2025, Nova Power & Gas carried out extensive site development, upgrading, and conservation works at its own expense, with up to 200 employees present on site during peak construction periods. These efforts were aimed at preparing the site for the construction of the SMR facility, contributing to cost efficiency and adherence to the project schedule, in line with the plans defined under FEED Phase 1.
This marks a first for Romania: demolition, remediation, redevelopment, and construction works carried out on such a scale. According to available data, Doicești is the first and only coal-fired power plant in Romania to be completely demolished. To illustrate the scale of the project, Nova’s teams have completed the following works in recent years:
- complex demolition works, including underground structures down to depths of 15 meters (foundations, former fuel oil storage tanks, underground metal structures), as well as above-ground structures of the former power plant, with buildings and cooling towers reaching heights of up to 230 meters;
- extensive environmental remediation, site cleaning, recycling, and waste disposal activities, involving the removal of approximately 600,000 tonnes of demolition materials;
- full refurbishment of the 110/20 kV transformer station and its connection to the National Power System (SEN) via six 110 kV lines, providing a current connection capacity of 250 MW, as well as a reserve capacity of approximately 400 MW through two 220 kV lines. The total grid connection capacity of approximately 650 MW represents one of the site’s most valuable assets, alongside access to water from the site’s own dam on the Ialomița River and direct connections to the national road and railway networks;
- modernization of the administrative building, as well as construction of on-site access roads and parking areas, stormwater drainage systems, and water connections and storage facilities for both industrial and domestic use.
The project has also created meaningful employment opportunities for the local community, with a significant number of the several hundred specialists involved in demolition, site preparation, and environmental remediation coming from the Doicești area.
This investment complements Nova Power & Gas’s equity participation in RoPower Nuclear and reflects the company’s active and ongoing involvement in supporting the Doicești SMR project. Nova Power & Gas will continue to invest in this project, which it considers critical to Romania’s long-term energy security and stability.
Nova Power & Gas initially acquired the Doicești site with the intention of developing a combined gas-fired and photovoltaic power plant with energy storage, building on its experience at the Câmpia Turzii Energy Complex. The project includes an 80 MW photovoltaic park, developed in less than one year and currently in operation. This sustainable solution has brought the ash dumps of the former coal-fired power plant back into productive use, transforming them into sources of green energy—an unprecedented achievement in Romania—and supporting the generation of clean, renewable power.
The sale of these assets was carried out based on the lowest market valuation among three independent assessments performed by three separate firms, two of which were international Big Four consulting companies.
Current Project Status
A. Site preparation
- Cleaning, demolition, and underground preparation: 100% complete
- Utility connections (electricity, water, roads; capacity secured in the vicinity): 100% complete
- Site organization (offices, storage areas, parking, access roads): 100% complete
B. Studies and design
- FEED Phase 1: 100% complete
- FEED Phase 2: 90% complete
FEED Phase 2 represents the detailed technical design, including quantities of works, equipment, buildings, and site layouts. Upon completion, it will allow the investment value to be estimated with a minimum accuracy of 80%. The final investment decision cannot be taken prior to the completion of this phase.
C. Permits and authorizations
- Preparatory processes for nuclear licensing and construction permits are currently underway.
Under nuclear regulatory requirements, full permitting can only be obtained for a site owned by the project developer.
