At the site of the Patnow brown coal plant, Poland is planning on building its first nuclear power plant, which should be completed in 2033. In the meantime, there is also interest in small modular reactors (SMR). Most recently, on Sept. 23, state-owned copper producer KGHM signed an agreement with U.S. nuclear technology developer NuScale for four 77 MW reactors, the first of which could come online in 2029. KGHM, Poland’s second-largest consumer of electricity, is seeking to shield itself against increasingly volatile energy prices.
On Aug. 31, Michal Solowow, in the chemicals industry and Poland’s richest man, and Zygmunt Solorz, the owner of the ZE PAK energy plant complex in Patnow, announced they were undertaking a joint venture for up to six 300 MW nuclear reactors around the end of the decade. Solowow is investing in nuclear energy for industry and heating in cooperation with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. GE Hitachi says its aim is to cut reactor costs to less than $1 billion and be able to put up plants in 37-48 months.
On the one hand Solowow is investing the SMR technology with GEH, but he’s also up to his very green eyeballs investing in Baltic Sea wind farms, and solutions for hydrogen generation from high-temperature steam (in cooperation with the American Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation). GEH likewise teamed up with Bill Gates’ TerraPower to introduce the Natrium power production and storage system, which plans to use the SMR technology as the reliable backup for the unreliable wind and solar! Such programs put the bass in bass ackwards, vis-a-vis nuclear power, the biggest human breakthrough since electricity itself. Ultra Safe is also developing micro nuclear energy for nuclear thermal propulsion for NASA.
There are currently more than 70 SMR designs under development across 17 countries, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Russia already has a 35 MW floating SMR providing power to the Far East region of Chukotka and plans to switch on its first land-based SMR plant in the northern province of Yakutia by 2028. Construction of a 125 MW unit is underway in China.
