Polish companies SGE, construction company Polimex Mostostal, and engineering group ATEC are co-operating to advance SMR technology in Central and Eastern Europe. The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate on the development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Central and Eastern Europe. SGE, formerly known as Synthos Green Energy, acts as a development platform for SMRs across Europe.
The agreement focuses on implementing the BWRX-300, developed by GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy. SGE is currently advancing partnerships and projects based on the BWRX-300 in a number of European countries.
The BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission-certified ESBWR boiling water reactor design and its existing, licensed GNF2 fuel design. GVH’s first BWRX-300 is under construction at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site in Canada, with completion expected by 2030.
The MOU aims to facilitate collaboration between the companies and establish working groups to jointly explore potential projects in Central and Eastern Europe. Activities will include identifying areas of synergy and assessing competencies and organisational capabilities in the context of delivering nuclear projects.
“We are developing a coherent SMR deployment model in Central and Eastern Europe that combines access to proven BWRX-300 technology with strong local construction and industrial capabilities,” said SGE CEO Rafał Kasprów. “Our agreement with Polimex Mostostal and ATEC strengthens our ability to scale projects across the region and build an efficient supplier ecosystem. Our goal is to deliver repeatable, financeable nuclear projects that will support the energy transition and enhance energy security across the region.”
Jakub Stypuła, President of the Management Board at Polimex Mostostal, said the MOU is an important step in building partnerships for the delivery of SMR projects in Central and Eastern Europe. “The agreement provides a framework for defining potential areas of cooperation and identifying where we can leverage our experience in delivering large-scale industrial and energy projects. At the same time, it enables the complementary use of each party’s strengths in the development of SMR projects.”
Maciej Stańczuk, Member of the Management Board of ATEC Group, said ATEC is expanding its engineering capabilities in the nuclear energy sector. “We are very pleased to be working with Polimex Mostostal, the largest and most important EPC contractor for energy projects in Poland, and we see strong potential in deploying the proven BWRX-300 technology in our country.”
He gave two reasons for this. “First, Poland needs nuclear energy to stabilize its power system, which must also rely on stable sources of energy and on reliable, low-emission technologies capable of keeping the grid operating under adverse conditions. Nuclear energy is today the only scalable option that can simultaneously provide resilience, decarbonization and strategic autonomy. If we want to carry out an energy transition that is not only green, but also credible and capable of delivering acceptable energy prices, nuclear energy must return from the margins to the centre.”
The second reason is that the SMR project “represents a unique opportunity to create a truly local supply chain, of which, together with Polimex Mostostal, we want to be an important part – this is an exceptional opportunity for our companies, and one we cannot afford to miss”.
SGE’s flagship project is in Poland, where, in cooperation with state-controlled energy company Orlen, SGE has been preparing for development at three separate sites – Wlowlawek, central Poland, Ostrolaka, northeastern Poland, and Stawy Monowskie, in the south of the country. It is expecting to complete the first unit near Wloclawek by 2032. In December 2023, the SGE-Orlen joint venture OSGE received a decision-in-principle for the construction of up to 24 SMRs at six potential sites across the country.
SGE is part of the MS Galleon Group, a privately held industrial conglomerate owned by Michał Sołowow, one of Poland’s wealthiest investors. The group also owns the chemical producer Synthos, which would be a primary user of the zero-emission electricity and heat produced by SMRs.
