Canada-based Laurentis Energy Partners, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has signed a $40m agreement with Poland’s ORLEN Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) to prepare a Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) on the development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Poland.
The agreement was signed in Warsaw at a ceremony attended by Ontario Minister of Energy & Electrification Stephen Lecce and Polish Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure Wojciech Wrochna.
The PSAR is a comprehensive study, required by Poland’s safety authority, the National Atomic Energy Agency, as part of OSGE’s licensing application, to demonstrate the safety of deploying GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 SMRs in Poland. Laurentis staff will prepare materials related to environmental conditions, site characteristics, facility operation, construction, commissioning, and future decommissioning.
“PSAR is one of the key elements of the whole licensing process for a nuclear power plant,” said Rafał Kasprów, CEO of OSGE. “By having such experienced partners involved in the project, we are confident that OSGE will deliver to the Polish nuclear authority a comprehensive report that meets all requirements of the Polish law.” He added: “We are launching work on the first PSAR related to small modular reactors in the EU. This is a significant milestone in the SMR deployment process, and I believe it paves the way for bolder actions in other European countries, as well.”
OSGE, as the future owner and operator of the plant, will be responsible for preparing input data for analysis, as well as for coordinating and supervising the ongoing work. The work is planned for almost two years, with completion of the PSAR expected in mid-2026.
OSGE will also be supported in preparing the PSAR by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), designer of the BWRX-300. GEH will be responsible for the technological and safety analyses. The company played a significant role in the preparation of a similar report in Canada for a project implemented by OPG, for which the PSAR analysis was delivered to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in 2022.
Sean Sexstone, GEH Executive Vice President, Advanced Nuclear said international collaboration “will be crucial to the successful execution of new nuclear projects, so we are excited to work together with OSGE and Laurentis Energy Partners on this licensing requirement for deployment of our SMR technology in Poland.”
Jason Van Wart, President and CEO of Laurentis said: “As a company with experience and expertise in new nuclear services from conception to execution, including regulatory support, we are uniquely positioned to help OSGE progress its project to enable Poland to achieve its clean energy ambitions.”
Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Energy & Electrification, said Ontario’s government is exporting its nuclear expertise “to create jobs back home while supporting Europe’s energy security”. He noted: “We have successfully signed deals that set the stage for Ontario’s nuclear expansion into Europe that will generate revenue and create new, good-paying jobs for Ontario workers.”
In 2022, Synthos Green Energy and ORLEN established the ORLEN Synthos Green Energy joint venture to deploy a fleet of BWRX-300 SMRs. Laurentis and OSGE the same year signed a Master Services Agreement to support the development and deployment of SMRs in Poland. Laurentis is already supporting OSGE in early project planning for the project.
In May 2023, OSGE received a positive general opinion from the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency regarding selected technical assumptions for the BWRX-300 reactor technology. This is an element of the pre-licensing process. In December, the Ministry of Climate & Environment issued decisions in principle for the implementation of the investment in six locations: Stawy Monowskie, Włocławek, Ostrołęka, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Kraków-Nowa Huta and Stalowa Wola-Tarnobrzeg. In February 2024, the General Director for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ – Generalna Dyrekcja Ochrony Środowiska) issued a decision on the scope of the environmental report for the construction of a SMR in Stawy Monowskie in the Małopolska province.
The BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of Ge Hitachi’s (GEH’s) ESBWR, which has US Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification.
