Poland’s Ministry of Climate & Environment has issued a Decision in Principle approving Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology. Poland’s Environment Minister, Paulina Hennig-Kloska said she believes the investment would be in the public interest and in line with the country’s energy and climate policies.
The Decision in Principle relates to the construction of a nuclear power plant using 470 MWe small modular reactors and an integral spent fuel storage tank. This document opens the way for further administrative decisions including siting and construction. The application has received the favourable opinion of the Internal Security Agency.
Last year, state-owned Industria – part of Industrial Development Agency JSC (IDA) – selected Rolls-Royce SMR technology to fulfil the zero-emission energy goals of the Central Hydrogen Cluster in Poland and as part of wider plans to produce 50,000 tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen a year. In July 2023, Industria signed a letter of intent with the Kostrzyn-Słubicka Special Economic Zone SA (KSSSE) regarding cooperation on the location of a plant based on Rolls-Royce SMR technology in the areas covered by the KSSSE.
Industria said its preferred location is the Chmielnik Commune to supply the future Logistics and Industrial Zone with stable sources of energy, heat and hydrogen. The creation of a Logistics and Industrial Zone powered by zero-emission energy to spur economic development of the entire Świętokrzyskie Voivodship and thousands of jobs for graduates of Kielce universities.
Rolls-Royce SMR’s Director of Strategy and Business Development Alan Woods said the decision “is extremely positive news and allows us to advance our commercial and technical discussions on the deployment of Rolls-Royce SMR power plants in Poland”. He added that Poland “is one of a number of key export opportunities for Rolls-Royce SMR as we look to build on our progress in the UK and exploit the important competitive advantage our SMR design has over its competitors.”
This is just the most recent approval for SMR development in Poland. Last year a similar decision was issued for plans by metals producer KGHM Polska Miedź to construct a NuScale VOYGR SMR with a capacity of 462 MWe consisting of six modules, each with a capacity of 77 MWe. This was followed by a decision issued to Orlen Synthos Green Energy for the construction of power plants based on GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 SMR at six locations.
