At the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Bucharest, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced new steps by the United States to promote the deployment of new, safe and clean nuclear technologies that will accelerate the energy transition. These initiatives build on Romania’s pioneering role in building the first small modular reactor (SMR) in Europe and converting a former coal-fired power plant to further develop nuclear energy.
As part of Project Phoenix, Secretary Kerry announced that project proposals submitted by the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland have been competitively selected to participate in feasibility studies on converting coal to SMR. This announcement was made during a special event at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. This event also saw the establishment of an SMR simulator training center, which was installed earlier this year. Senior government officials from Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland, as well as nuclear industry executives, joined Secretary Kerry.
Additionally, Secretary Kerry unveiled plans for a Project Phoenix launch event, co-hosted by the United States and the Slovak Government, to take place on November 9 in Bratislava. This event includes a workshop with foreign partners and aims to support energy security and climate goals by facilitating the transition of coal-fired power plants to SMR while ensuring the preservation of local jobs through workforce training.
Additionally, during his visit to Bucharest, Secretary Kerry launched the “One Stop Shop for SMR Support” of the Nuclear Expediting the Energy Transition (NEXT) initiative. The One Stop Shop provides countries in Europe and Eurasia considering SMR implementation with a virtual hub through which they can access various advanced project preparation tools and services. These services include technical, financial and regulatory consultations, study visits to U.S. nuclear facilities and laboratories, the provision of an SMR simulator for workforce development, and university educational exchange partnerships to train the next generation of nuclear engineers, operators and technicians.
The Phoenix Project and the NEXT One Stop Shop are subprograms of the U.S. Department of State’s FIRST (Foundation Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology) program. The United States remains committed to supporting the deployment of innovative, safe, and secure clean energy technologies to facilitate global decarbonization efforts, improve energy security, and provide viable solutions to achieve net-zero emissions in challenging energy sectors.
