DP World has signed an agreement with France's nuclear research giant CEA and policy specialist TerraWater Institute to study how Small Modular Reactor technology could power its Port of Constanța operations in Romania, the Dubai-based terminal operator said on June 4. The feasibility study, announced via ACCESS Newswire, is one of the first concrete moves by a global ports operator to bring SMRs into the heart of European maritime logistics.
What the study will cover
The work will model projected energy demand at the Black Sea hub from 2030 to 2050, weigh integrated low-carbon energy systems and assess the technical, strategic and economic feasibility of nuclear-based options. CEA, with decades of reactor design and safety expertise, will lead the technical assessment, while TerraWater handles strategy and stakeholder engagement and DP World contributes the port operational profile. Safety standards and community considerations are explicitly in scope, aligned with DP World's "zero harm" policy.
Why a container port wants nuclear
Ports are electrifying fast — shore power for berthed ships, electrified gantry cranes, container handling equipment and on-site AI data centres — at exactly the moment industrial neighbours and residential heating are pulling additional load. "Nuclear SMRs are not just energy projects for our ports, they are a competitive infrastructure differentiator," said Nicholas Mazzei, DP World's VP Sustainability for Europe. The Port of Constanța is Romania's main maritime gateway and a key transit point for Ukrainian grain, making energy security as much a geopolitical question as a sustainability one.
Romania doubles down on nuclear, and so does DP World
Romania already operates Cernavodă's two CANDU reactors and is one of the European countries furthest along on SMR adoption, with NuScale's six-module RoPower project nearing a final investment decision. The DP World study extends a portfolio of nuclear scoping work that includes a UK ports memorandum signed last year and dovetails with broader European momentum around advanced reactor deployment. TerraWater's Myrto Tripathi argued the project frames demand correctly: "For energy as for everything, offer should not shape demand." Any future build would face additional technical review, regulatory approvals and community consultation. The work also follows recent industrial heat-and-power deals like X-energy's Kentucky and Pennsylvania pipeline.
Reporting based on coverage from ACCESS Newswire, Yahoo Finance, MENA FN and Sustainability HQ.