OSGE signs agreement with Włocławek for SMR plant

Włocławek was one of six locations shortlisted by Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) in 2023 for further geological surveys to host small modular reactor (SMR) plants based on GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's (GEVH's) BWRX-300, for which it holds the exclusive rights in Poland. The other locations were: Ostrołęka, Stawy Monowskie, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Nowa Huta and the Tarnobrzeg Special Economic Zone.

The Ministry of Climate and Environment issued decisions-in-principle for the six plants in December 2023. In February 2025, Poland's General Director for Environmental Protection issued the scope of the environmental reports for the proposed SMR projects in Włocławek and Ostrołęka, enabling OSGE to begin environmental and siting research at the two sites.

In August last year, Orlen announced that Poland's first SMR was to be constructed in Włocławek. 

The City of Włocławek and OSGE have now signed an agreement on cooperation in the construction of the BWRX-300 plant. According to the agreement, the parties will cooperate on issues such as public communication, educational activities, and the exchange of information regarding the investment process. A local information centre will also be established in the city, providing residents with access to reliable information about the project and nuclear energy.

OSGE is conducting advanced preparatory work for the investment. The special purpose vehicle, BWRX-300 Włocławek sp zoo, has obtained a decision in principle from the Minister of Energy and a resolution from the General Director for Environmental Protection defining the scope of the environmental impact report. Environmental and location studies are already underway, leading to the submission of an application for a building permit.

"The Włocławek project is not only our number one investment in Poland, but also the first small modular reactor in Europe," said Bartosz Fijałkowski, Vice President of the Management Board of OSGE. "It is advanced and proven technology, based on the many years of experience of our American partners, yet optimised for cost-effectiveness and speed of implementation, as well as tailored to the needs of our industry, power grids, and decarbonisation challenges. Cooperation with the Włocławek local government is crucial for us – we want to develop this project transparently, to the benefit of the local community and the entire region."

"This investment is a groundbreaking opportunity for Włocławek and the entire region," said Włocławek Mayor Krzysztof Kukucki. "Modern nuclear energy not only provides energy security and stable, competitive energy and heat prices for residents, but also provides a development stimulus that will increase the investment attractiveness of our city. We are committed to ensuring that the project is implemented in dialogue with the local community, fully respecting their needs and expectations."

OSGE said the agreement "represents another step towards implementing modern, zero-emission energy sources that will ensure a stable supply of electricity and heat and strengthen the region's economic development". It noted that just one BWRX-300 reactor translates into more than PLN8 million (USD2.1 million) in personal income tax revenue, PLN80 million in corporate income tax revenue, and more than PLN360,000 in property tax revenue annually. It also generates direct employment for nearly 200 people, with several hundred more created indirectly. Energy-intensive projects, such as data centres, could also be built near the power plant, further increasing the region's investment potential and contributing to job creation.

The BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of GEVH's US Nuclear Regulatory Commission-certified ESBWR boiling water reactor design and its existing, licensed GNF2 fuel design, a unique combination that GEVH says positions it to deliver an "innovative, carbon-free baseload power generation source" this decade.

The Province of Ontario approved Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to begin construction of the first of four BWRX-300 SMRs planned at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site in May 2025, weeks after the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission issued a construction licence. Early site preparation works began in the autumn of 2022 and were completed in early 2024, clearing the way for main preparation works to begin. OPG plans to connect the first unit to the grid by the end of 2030. The Darlington project is a reference project for OSGE.