Polish entrepreneurs invest 500 million zlotys in SGE's SMR program

A group of Polish entrepreneurs will invest a total of 500 million zlotys in SGE's BWRX-300 small modular reactor program. The new private capital is intended to support project development in Poland and other European countries, at a time when the first reactor of this type is already under construction in Canada and another has received a construction permit in the United States.

The investment was announced by SGE founder Michał Sołowow at The Company National Conference in Warsaw. Investors include InPost CEO Rafał Brzoska, ElevenLabs founders Mati Staniszewski and Piotr Dąbkowski, Wirtualna Polska Holding co-owner Michał Brański, and OSHEE beverage company co-founders Dariusz Gałęzewski and Dominik Doliński. Krzysztof and Marta Pawińscy of the Silesia House Family Foundation, Michał Wypychewicz of Koronea Family Office and Bruno Wejchert of Strike Capital are also participating.

According to Sołowow, the Polish entrepreneurs' investment primarily confirms private investors' confidence in the program under development. SGE also announced that it had secured commitments for capital investments from international investors totaling 1.35 billion zlotys.

Poland is preparing its first BWRX-300 fleet

SGE, formerly known as Synthos Green Energy, is an investor and developer of projects using GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 technology. In Poland, it is preparing these projects with energy group ORLEN through their joint venture, Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE).

The Polish program envisages the possibility of building up to 26 BWRX-300 reactors at six sites. Preparations are currently focused primarily on Włocławek, Stawy Monowskie near Oświęcim and Stalowa Wola. This year, OSGE asked the Polish government to introduce a support mechanism based on a Contract for Difference (CfD) for the first phase, which includes 14 units at these three sites. According to the current schedule, the company aims to bring the first reactor online in 2032.

SGE also wants to use Contracts for Difference to finance its nuclear projects. This year, it submitted a proposal in the United Kingdom to build 14 BWRX-300 reactors at three sites, with a total capacity of 4.2 GW. The project is now being assessed under the UK's Advanced Nuclear Framework.

BWRX-300 advances in Canada and the United States

The BWRX-300 is a boiling water reactor with an electrical capacity of approximately 300 MW. It uses natural coolant circulation and passive safety systems. Its design builds on the licensing and technological foundation of the ESBWR boiling water reactor and uses GNF2 fuel.

The first BWRX-300 is being built at the Darlington site in Canada by Ontario Power Generation. Canada's nuclear regulator, the CNSC, issued a construction permit for the first unit in April 2025 and confirmed in March this year that it had met the requirements of the first regulatory hold point, allowing subsequent construction work to proceed. OPG plans to build up to four reactors of this type at Darlington in stages.

Another major step followed at the end of September in the United States. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued Tennessee Valley Authority a construction permit for the first BWRX-300 at the Clinch River site in Tennessee. This is the first construction permit for this type of reactor in the United States.

SGE is working with GE Vernova Hitachi, Ontario Power Generation and Tennessee Valley Authority to standardize the BWRX-300 design for deployment in multiple markets. In September, SGE, GE Vernova, Hitachi and Samsung C&T also signed a memorandum of cooperation on deploying the technology in Central and Eastern Europe and the United Kingdom. The collaboration is intended to support the use of a standardized design, a shared supply chain and a replicable construction model.