Visualization of BWRX-300 SMR (Image: OSGE)

ORLEN Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) is implementing a bold new project to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) creating a fleet of modern nuclear power plants for Poland. The partnership was established by ORLEN and Synthos Green Energy – two companies implementing sustainable development strategies, with

zero-emission power generation as their main focus.

General Electric Hitachi Nuclear Energy is our chosen technology vendor. The GE Hitachi BWRX-300 is one of the world’s most advanced and proven SMR technology designs. It is well on its way to commercialisation--and it perfectly matches Poland’s energy needs.

Poland faces a major energy transition. The nation's energy mix is currently dominated by coal, which fuels more than 70 percent of Polish power generation. This must fundamentally change since coal-based energy generation assets are approaching decommissioning age, and the pressure for an energy transition is growing. By 2050, coal must be replaced for the most part, by renewables and nuclear power. The SMRs that OSGE plans to deploy will play an important part in Poland's energy transition, especially in the industrial sector's shift to clean energy. SMRs will play a key role in moving Poland towards Net Zero carbon energy.

In the last twenty months, OSGE has made substantial progress on key aspects of the project:

• After carefully prescreening a wide variety of potential locations, OSGE has selected seven sites for the first tranche of SMRs to be built,
• OSGE became the first company in Poland to obtain a favourable 'General Opinion' from the nuclear regulator – a prelicensing instrument in which the National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA) confirms that the BWRX-300 design is in line with Polish regulations;
• Proceedings for three locations to issue an 'Environmental Decision' for the construction of BWRX-300 were initiated by the General Director of Environmental Protection.

Though Poland will be a newcomer to nuclear power, public support in the central European nation is strong, in fact it is among the highest in the world.

Eighty-six percent of Poles support nuclear power plant construction (full-scale power plants), according to a survey conducted for the Polish government, and around 60 percent of Poles support the construction of smaller nuclear reactors (SMRs), even if they were to be built in their own neighborhoods (the survey only asked residents of cities announced by OSGE as potential sites).