Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) has submitted an application to Poland’s Ministry of Energy seeking contract for difference (CfD) support for 14 BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs) planned in three locations across the country. The first unit is expected to start commercial operation in Włocławek in 2032.
The application, confirmed by the company on Monday, covers reactors to be built in Włocławek, Stawy Monowskie near Oświęcim, and Stalowa Wola. OSGE hopes the government will use the submission as a basis to prepare documentation for state aid notification to the European Commission.
Under the proposed CfD mechanism, the generator receives a top-up payment when market electricity prices fall below an agreed strike price, and pays back the difference when prices exceed that level. This model is intended to provide revenue stability for capital-intensive nuclear projects.
Government support sought
Deputy Energy Minister Wojciech Wrochna said in May that OSGE had already presented its CfD proposal to the ministry. The support scheme is expected to be included in a roadmap for SMR development that the ministry plans to publish soon.
– The contract for difference for 14 units will allow us to build a fleet of BWRX-300 reactors in Poland. Through economies of scale, standardisation, modularisation and repeatability, we will achieve lower unit costs and create an attractive price model for both individual and industrial electricity consumers – said Rafał Kasprów, CEO of OSGE, quoted in the company’s statement.
Kasprów previously told a parliamentary energy committee that the expected CfD level for SMR projects could range from €115 to €135 per MWh, with the price declining as more units are built. He estimated capital expenditure at around €2 billion per BWRX-300 block, depending on the number of reactors constructed sequentially.
Timeline and regulatory progress
OSGE has already obtained so-called principal decisions for all 14 units covered by the application. For the Włocławek and Stawy Monowskie sites, the company holds environmental decisions, and has applied for the same for Stalowa Wola. Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne, the national grid operator, has issued connection conditions for the Stawy Monowskie SMR.
– The launch of the first BWRX-300 block, according to current assumptions, will take place in 2032 in Włocławek. The capacity of these units and the proposed locations fit perfectly into the Polish power system, minimising grid connection costs – the company said.
OSGE is a joint venture equally owned by Orlen and the Synthos chemical conglomerate controlled by Michał Sołowow. The company plans a fleet of up to 26 GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 reactors in Poland. Orlen’s strategy envisages having two BWRX-300 units by 2035. The Włocławek site is adjacent to Orlen’s Anwil chemical plant, while Stawy Monowskie is near Synthos facilities in Oświęcim. According to Ministry of Energy estimates, commercial operation of the Włocławek plant could begin in the early 2030s.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. PTWP/Aleksandra Helbin/ mat. pras. OSGE
