Polish billionaire SGE plans 14 small modular reactors in the UK

Polish billionaire Michał Sołowow’s company Synthos Green Energy (SGE) has submitted an application under the UK’s Advanced Nuclear Framework to build a fleet of fourteen GE‑Hitachi BWRX‑300 small modular reactors (SMRs) across three sites in England and Wales. The proposed 4.2 GW of capacity would supply roughly 11% of the United Kingdom’s electricity demand, enough to power about eight million homes for at least sixty years. The plan, estimated at £35 billion, is being financed privately and would operate under a Contract‑for‑Difference scheme with government‑backed price guarantees.

The delivery consortium includes GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Samsung C&T, Laing O’Rourke, Aecon Group, Google Cloud, Fermi Development and an unnamed nuclear operator. SGE aims to standardise construction by deploying the reactors in a fleet‑based model, with six units at the first site (Oldbury in South Gloucestershire) and four units each at two additional locations. The first reactor is targeted for commercial operation in 2034, following site selection and licensing steps expected to progress from 2026 onward. The project is presented as a response to rising power demand from AI data centres and broader energy‑security goals.