Poland Picks First Small Nuclear Plant Location

---

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Poland is looking to become Europe's first country to build a small modular reactor (SMR) in the industrial region of Włocławek based on the BWRX-300 design from U.S.-based GE Vernova (Cambridge, Massachusetts).

State-owned energy company Orlen (Plock) confirmed the decision by announcing the creation of a 50:50 joint venture company with Polish company Synthos Green Energy (Warsaw, Poland), which holds the exclusive rights for the BWRX-300 design in Poland.

The country is determined to add nuclear to its power mix, which is dominated today by coal-fired power. "Poland will host the first BWRX-300 small modular reactor in Europe," said Ireneusz Fafara, president of the management board of Orlen. "We are building the energy system of tomorrow. This reflects the essence of a decision by the Orlen Group Supervisory Board, which approved the agreement. We spent over a year negotiating terms that safeguard Orlen's interests, securing for our joint venture with Synthos direct access to U.S. SMR technology that will enable the project's delivery." Orlen is Poland's largest refiner and energy firm.

A site in Włocławek in the center of the country has been chosen as the location for the plant, which will be overseen by the new company, Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE). Orlen has stated that it aims to have at least two SMRs with a combined capacity of 600 megawatts (MW) operational by 2035. The key element in the deal was the licensing agreement that grants OSGE full access to the BWRX-300 reactor technology, which is said "will allow the project to proceed towards the construction of Poland's first SMR facility."

Włocławek is a key industrial region, playing an important role in Poland's energy and chemical industries. Industrial Info is tracking three other potential, but smaller, SMR projects aimed at the steel sector worth US$750 million in investment. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports. The race is on in Europe to become the first to roll out an SMR plant, with the the U.K.'s Rolls-Royce (London, England) recently signing deals for the rollout of its SMR technology in the Czech Republic with state-owned power company CEZ Group (Prague) and nuclear engineering and manufacturing company SKODA JS (Pilsen, Czech Republic). The company also won the U.K.'s government competition to build the country's first SMR plant. For additional information, see June 24, 2025, article - U.K. Picks Rolls-Royce for First Mini-Nuclear Plants and August 13, 2025, article - Rolls-Royce Advances Czech SMR Plans.

Industrial Info has been tracking Poland's nuclear energy ambitions in recent years. As Europe's largest coal-using nation, it relied on coal-fired power for more than 57% of its electricity in 2024, a marked improvement from 70% in 2023, thanks largely to more renewables. It also supplies the vast majority of Europe's hard coal. The country is under increased pressure from the European Union (EU) to decarbonize its electricity mix as it has consistently failed to meet the EU's strict environmental requirements for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. In 2022, the Polish government awarded Westinghouse Electric Company (Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania) the contract for its first planned nuclear power plant. Westinghouse has signed an agreement outlining a plan for the delivery of with Bechtel Corporation and state-owned Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ). The government is driving the program to build 6 to 9 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power, starting with three reactors at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in northern Poland. The plant will boast three Generation III+ AP1000 reactors with a combined output of 3,750 MW, with the first reactor estimated to be commissioned in 2033. For additional information, see November 22, 2022, article - Poland's First Nuclear Plant Project Goes to Westinghouse.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).