Synthos in link-up to advance nuclear energy in Poland

Saskatoon, Canada – Synthos Green Energy (SGE) has entered a non-exclusive, non-binding memorandum of understanding with North American partners to study the potential deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Poland.

The deal links SGE, part of the Polish synthetic rubber, plastics and chemicals supplier Synthos Group, with uranium supplier Cameco, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and GEH SMR Technologies Canada.

Under the agreement, the partners are to evaluate the establishment of a uranium fuel supply-chain in Canada that would service a fleet of SMRs in Poland, Cameco recently announced

The Saskatoon-based company will supply uranium, uranium refining and conversion services to SGE, while GEH will offer its BWRX-300 SMRs to the partnership, said Cameco in a recent statement.

The MoU follows a 2019 agreement between SGE and GEH to collaborate over the deployment of a fleet of BWRX-300 SMRs in Poland.

The move targets “affordable, on-demand, carbon-free electricity from a dependable, dedicated source” for the European Union member state.

“We look forward to working with Cameco and GEH in understanding the uranium requirements for a fleet of BWRX-300s in Poland and the support that Canada has to offer,” said Rafa? Kasprów, president of the board of SGE. 

Meanwhile, SGE is also pursuing another joint venture project domestically with local energy producer ZE PAK to set up a nuclear power plant at its facility in Patnow, in central Poland.

The site, currently operated on lignite from a nearby opencast mine, will accommodate four to six SMR-type reactors, each with a capacity to produce 300 MW of energy.

The project has been described by Synthos as ‘the most serious undertaking related to nuclear energy and SMRs’ in Poland.

The two sides expect the project to have a “good chance of being completed’ due to its location and the existing power transmission infrastructure. 

The BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems.

The technology is claimed to require ‘significantly less capital cost per megawatt when compared to other SMR designs.