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Cooperation with SE Radioactive Waste focuses on the construction of a national repository in Romania at a key stage of the project
From 26 to 30 January 2026, the State Enterprise Radioactive Waste hosted for a second time a working visit by the senior management of Romania’s Nuclear and Radioactive Waste Agency. The delegation—comprising President Mihaita Gaina, Vice President Ramona Popescu, and Senior Advisor Monica Carmen—took part in an intensive five-day exchange of knowledge and good practices with their Bulgarian counterparts. This visit, the second following the initial one in June 2021, underscored the maturity and strategic importance of the partnership between the two national operators, particularly as the Romanian project enters an active phase for the construction of a near-surface repository.
During the visit, Romanian specialists received a comprehensive overview of the full technological cycle of radioactive waste management in Bulgaria. They toured key facilities, including the Turbine Hall, the Measurement and Clearance System, the Plasma Melting Facility (during an operational campaign), the Size Reduction and Decontamination Workshop, the Site and Workshop for the Production of Reinforced-Concrete Containers, the “Radioactive Waste – Kozloduy” Specialized Unit, and the National Repository for Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste (NR LILW).
The programme featured in-depth technical sessions in which experts from SE Radioactive Waste presented their developments and experience across several critical areas:
•    Automated radioactive waste traceability system;
•    Management of materials and waste arising from decommissioning activities, with a focus on achievements, lessons learned, and next steps;
•    Core systems and components ensuring the safe disposal of radioactive waste;
•    Information policy and public communication, including concrete mechanisms for turning concepts into successful programmes.
“We are very grateful for the opportunity to share the experience of SE Radioactive Waste,” said Vice President Ramona Popescu, “as we are now beginning construction of the same type of repository in Romania and the concepts are very similar. This is why we chose to draw on your experience. We are impressed by the wide range of activities and were pleased to see the Plasma Melting Facility in operation—waste minimisation is a priority for us, and you already have solid experience. We also hold the Information Centre in very high regard for its professionalism in terms of projects, products, and public relations.”
President Mihaita Gaina emphasised the strategic dimension of the cooperation: “The relationship we are building with you is extremely important. We hope it has already become a permanent channel for a productive future. The most important part for us was the visit to the National Repository and the impressive progress achieved there. In the near future, we would be pleased to return the visit, as we rely on your expertise for the technical assessment of our project, whose specifications are almost identical.”
In the context of the visit (since August 2025 Romania has been in an active phase of site selection for its national repository, with a design contract already signed), the practical experience and accumulated expertise of SE Radioactive Waste – as an operator with a completed facility—has become an invaluable resource for the Romanian partners. This second, more focused and in-depth visit strengthened mutual trust and respect and outlined clear prospects for continued cooperation. The partnership is already evolving from a general exchange of information into concrete, project-based support between the two neighbouring countries, aimed at ensuring the highest standards of nuclear safety in the region.