SGE Plans to Build 14 BWRX-300 SMRs in the UK

Warsaw-based small modular reactor developer SGE plans to build 14 GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) BWRX-300 units in three different locations in the UK. The company stated that the 4.2 GW privately financed fleet could meet approximately 11% of the UK's electricity demand.

SGE submitted its plan as an application under the UK's new Advanced Nuclear Framework (ANF), a policy framework established to support private sector-led small modular reactor, advanced modular reactor, and micro modular reactor projects in England and Wales. SGE announced that it will start with the construction of six BWRX-300 units at one location in the first phase, followed by rapid construction at two further locations.

SGE expects the project to enter the Advanced Nuclear Pipeline in November 2026, with site selections and government support scheme negotiations to be completed in the first half of 2027. After the financing stage, the company plans to begin site preparation and licensing work within about a year, with the first unit targeting commercial operation in 2034.

The GE Hitachi Energy BWRX-300 is a single-unit, direct-cycle, natural-circulation, boiling water reactor that offers approximately 870 MW (thermal) and 300 MW (electric) output. The reactor is designed to have a 60-year operating life. GE Vernova Hitachi notes that the small modular reactor design features an innovative, simplified structure, requiring less concrete and steel for construction. The company states that the reactor can generate electricity for industrial applications, including hydrogen production, desalination, and district heating.

SGE, formerly Synthos Green Energy, is a European SMR development and investment platform founded by Michał Sołowow in 2019. The company signed the first BWRX-300 agreement with GE Hitachi and became the distribution partner for GVH in Poland. SGE signed a $400 million technology collaboration agreement with Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and GVH, and established a design center to develop the standard design of the reactor.

Source: POWER Magazine