Polish ministry approves plan to build a Rolls-Royce small modular reactor

Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment has issued a positive decision on Industria Group’s plan to build a small modular reactor from Rolls-Royce in the country. This is the first government decision that allows the investor to proceed with obtaining the other permits required. The Rolls-Royce SMR small pressurised water reactor, with an electrical output of 470 MW, is designed to operate for more than 60 years. The ministry has issued positive decisions for Polish nuclear projects with a total installed capacity of nearly 10 GW.

The British company Rolls-Royce SMR, which is developing small modular reactors, announced that Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment had approved the potential construction of its reactor in the country. The application was submitted last December by Polish group Industria, which plans to build a small reactor in the Kostrzyńsko-Słubicka Special Economic Zone. The ministry said its positive decision was based in particular on the project being in the public interest and consistent with national energy and climate goals.

“Today’s decision-in-principle from the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment is extremely positive news. It allows us to advance our commercial and technical discussions on deploying Rolls-Royce modular reactors in Poland,” said Alan Woods, Rolls-Royce’s Director of Strategy and Business Development.

The so-called decision-in-principle is the first official state approval for a planned investment in a nuclear facility in Poland. Obtaining it entitles the company to begin further administrative steps, such as applying for zoning decisions or building permits.

Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment has already approved a number of nuclear projects in the same way. These include two conventional nuclear power plants, one with AP1000 reactors and a capacity of 3750 MW and the other with APR1400 reactors and a capacity of 2800 MW. Last year, projects using NuScale VOYGR and BWRX-300 small modular reactors also received the green light. In total, dozens of small reactors could be built in Poland.

British modular reactors

Rolls-Royce SMR describes its small modular reactor as the first homegrown nuclear technology developed in the United Kingdom in more than 20 years. The company has been working on the modular reactor’s design since 2015, with the British government investing substantial sums in its development. Although its output of 470 MW exceeds the usual definition of “small” reactors, which have a capacity of up to 300 MW, Rolls-Royce classifies its reactor in this category.

“Poland is one of the key export opportunities for Rolls-Royce modular reactors. We are seeking to build on our progress in the United Kingdom and make use of an important advantage our design has over the competition,” Woods added.

The company expects to bring the price of its reactor below £1.8 billion (just under CZK 52 billion) by the time the fifth reactor is built. The technology is designed to have a total operating life of at least 60 years.