South Korea’s DS Private Equity (DSPE) is set to acquire a 39.5% stake in RoPower Nuclear, the joint venture developing Romania’s pioneering small modular reactor (SMR) project in Doicești. The ownership shift comes via a proposed capital increase, with DSPE contributing €68 million in cash.
Current stakeholders—Romania’s state-owned Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power and Gas (NPG)—will reduce their holdings from 50% each to 46.5% and 14%, respectively. Nuclearelectrica plans to invest €76 million, partly by converting existing loans, while NPG will inject €20 million.
The capital increase would bring RoPower’s equity base from €8 million to €172 million. DSPE, already an investor in U.S.-based NuScale Power (the SMR technology provider), is expected to bolster the project further by leveraging relationships with Korean financial and industrial giants such as KEXIM and Samsung.
Located on the site of a former coal plant northwest of Bucharest, the Doicești project is anticipated to deliver 462 MW of nuclear capacity. Romania’s Ministry of Energy estimates the project will cost approximately €4.9 billion, with a final investment decision expected in early Q2 next year.
Source: Balkan Green Energy News
