Partnership combines nuclear technology, EPC capabilities and local development platform
Samsung C&T is expanding its presence in Europe’s small modular reactor market through a partnership with GE Vernova, Hitachi and Synthos Green Energy to develop fleets of BWRX-300 reactors across Central and Eastern Europe and the United Kingdom.
Samsung C&T’s Engineering & Construction Group said on Sept. 23 that the four companies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Atlantic Council’s Nuclear Energy Policy Summit in New York on Sept. 22.
The agreement is aimed at accelerating the commercial deployment of the BWRX-300, a 300-megawatt small modular reactor based on boiling water reactor technology.
Rather than developing individual reactors separately, the partners plan to establish a standardized fleet model that can be repeatedly deployed across multiple countries.
From individual reactors to standardized fleets
The fleet approach is central to the partnership.
SMRs are designed to benefit from standardized designs and modular construction, but their economics will depend in part on whether developers can replicate the same reactor design across multiple sites.
Under the agreement, the four companies will combine their respective capabilities in reactor technology, industrial manufacturing, engineering, procurement and construction, and European project development.
GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, a joint venture between GE Vernova and Hitachi, will provide the BWRX-300 design and reactor technology, while Hitachi will contribute its nuclear technology and industrial capabilities.
Samsung C&T will bring its experience in major nuclear power and energy infrastructure projects, with a focus on global engineering, procurement and construction, or EPC.
Synthos Green Energy, known as SGE, will continue to lead BWRX-300 development activities in Europe, where it has been building a pipeline of potential projects.
Poland and UK emerge as key markets
The partnership already has a sizeable project pipeline to pursue.
SGE has secured decisions in principle for 26 BWRX-300 units in Poland and is currently focusing on three sites capable of accommodating the first 14 reactors.
In the UK, the company is pursuing a fleet of 14 units across three multi-unit sites, representing a combined capacity of 4.2 gigawatts.
The UK project has also entered an in-depth preliminary regulatory assessment led by Great British Energy–Nuclear, according to Samsung C&T.
Taken together, the projects under consideration in Poland and the UK represent 40 BWRX-300 units.
The partners intend to use those projects as a foundation for identifying additional opportunities across Central and Eastern Europe and the UK.
The first BWRX-300 unit is currently under construction in Canada, making the progress of that project an important reference point for future deployments in Europe.
Samsung C&T strengthens its role in global SMR projects
For Samsung C&T, the agreement is part of a broader effort to build a position in the emerging SMR market through partnerships with global nuclear technology companies.
The Korean construction company has been working with GE Vernova Hitachi on BWRX-300 deployment and has recently expanded related activities in Studsvik, Sweden.
Its role highlights a potential path for Korean engineering and construction companies in the global SMR market. Rather than developing proprietary reactor technology, Samsung C&T can combine its EPC capabilities with reactor vendors and local developers as projects move from planning to construction.
That role could become more important if SMR projects shift toward fleet deployment.
Building multiple reactors based on the same design requires not only reactor technology but also a repeatable construction process, supply chain management and tighter control of project schedules and costs.
Kim Jung-wook, executive vice president and head of global business at Samsung C&T, said the company has been collaborating with GE Vernova Hitachi on BWRX-300 deployment and has recently made progress in Studsvik.
“We are pleased to open a new chapter in Europe’s SMR business together with GE Vernova, Hitachi and SGE,” Kim said.
Europe has renewed its focus on nuclear power as governments seek to strengthen energy security while reducing carbon emissions. SMRs are increasingly being considered as part of that mix, although commercial deployment remains at an early stage.
For the BWRX-300 partnership, the pace of expansion will ultimately depend on regulatory approvals, financing, supply-chain readiness and the construction performance of early projects.
If the first deployments establish a repeatable model, the fleet strategy could give Samsung C&T and its partners a route to expand the same reactor design across multiple European markets.
