Polish companies Synthos Green Energy and PKN Orlen have signed an investment agreement to establish a joint venture for the deployment of a small modular reactor (SMR) fleet in Poland. The Orlen Synthos Green Energy joint venture will commercialise micro modular reactor (MMR) and SMR technology, in particular GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Assets Jacek Sasin, who said the agreement for the development of SMRs aligns with industry modernisation plans, providing an opportunity for fast, effective and safe decarbonisation. “The European Union’s climate policy forces us to transform our energy sector … In the future, the most stable source of energy will be nuclear power,” he said.
Today’s agreement between Synthos and PKN Orlen follows an agreement signed in June, and covers activities including promoting the technology, supporting the development of a relevant legal framework, exploring potential reactor sites, implementing joint projects and, ultimately, generating energy and heat using the technology for PKN Orlen’s own, municipal and commercial needs.
“Nuclear will be one of the cheapest energy generation sources. We hope the first reactor to be deployed in Poland by 2030,” PKN Orlen President Daniel Obajtek said, noting that a letter of intent has already been signed to outline the terms on which the first reactors would be supplied to Poland.