Łukasiewicz Research Network and ORLEN Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) will cooperate in developing the advancement of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Poland. Dr Eng. Marcin Kulasek, Minister of Science and Higher Education, emphasised the importance of this collaboration: “If we want to think seriously about the future, we must develop the technologies of the future — and that is exactly what the small modular reactor sector represents.”
The entities have signed an agreement on broad cooperation in the development of nuclear energy in Poland. The collaborations will materialize in the establishment and joint operation of a nuclear energy training centre. The agreement was signed at the headquarters of Łukasiewicz – Institute of Electrical Engineering in Warsaw’s Wawer district, where the facility is planned to be built.
The event inaugurating the cooperation was attended by the Minister of Science and Higher Education Marcin Kulasek and the Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure Wojciech Wrochna. Kulasek has stressed that ORLEN Synthos Green Energy is the most promising company for the development of SMR technology in Poland:
“If we want to think seriously about the future, we must develop the technologies of the future — and that is exactly what the small modular reactor sector represents. I am convinced that the cooperation between OSGE, a company that guarantees the development of nuclear energy in Poland, and the Łukasiewicz Research Network is a serious step towards ensuring the country’s energy security for the coming decades.”
The nuclear energy training centre will support the development of personnel for the safe operation of the fleet of BWRX-300 SMR reactors planned by OSGE. The centre is also intended to become an important hub for information, training and educational programmes. At the business level, its activities will be oriented towards the needs not only of Polish entities, but also of the European market.
Cooperation between Łukasiewicz and OSGE will cover research and development work as well as the commercialisation of technologies related to small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). SMRs are intended to become a significant element of Poland’s energy transition, filling the generation gap with low-emission and stable energy as coal-fired power plants are phased out in the 2030s and 2040s.
“The construction of a fleet of BWRX-300 reactors in Poland is an undertaking of unprecedented scale,” emphasises Bartosz Fijałkowski, Vice-President of ORLEN Synthos Green Energy. “It is a process that requires not only the highest technological and safety standards, but above all competent personnel. That is why the involvement and support of the institutes of the Łukasiewicz Research Network are of great importance to us.” He later added:
“Their research experience, expert resources and educational capabilities provide the foundation on which we will jointly develop highly qualified personnel for Poland’s new energy sector. We see this partnership as a real opportunity to educate specialists, validate and certify technologies in line with international safety standards, and create innovations that will strengthen the Polish economy. Together, we want to build a lasting competence ecosystem that will enable the efficient and responsible implementation of our nuclear programme and support the country’s energy transition.”
For the construction and equipment of the training centre, Łukasiewicz will provide specialised scientific and technical staff from the 22 institutes affiliated with the Network. The institutes are equipped with laboratory and research infrastructure, as well as workforce competent in the field of nuclear energy. Łukasiewicz – Institute of Electrical Engineering, on whose premises the training centre will be established, has been involved in electrification and energy security for 80 years.
“Our partnership covers seven areas,” says Dr Hubert Cichocki, President of the Łukasiewicz Research Network. “These include not only the construction of the training centre and an SMR reactor simulator, but also research and development work aimed at commercialisation, as well as the qualification and certification of infrastructure.”
“This approach allows us to use the potential of all 22 institutes of the Łukasiewicz Research Network. Alongside training future personnel and developing innovations, we will strengthen the energy security of the state based on the knowledge of the best scientists and engineers. The goal is to develop wider modern nuclear energy in Poland, not only SMRs. For the Network’s institutes this is an opportunity to develop new competencies which are important for the energy transition,” Dr Cichocki emphasises.
“We must make use of the existing infrastructure in order to carry out an effective energy transition. That is why I am glad that we can offer our business partner not only the expertise of our scientists and engineers, but also Łukasiewicz – IEL sites already fitted for such a project. Together with the MARIA reactor in Świerk, they will form a local innovation ecosystem,” adds the head of Łukasiewicz.
The Łukasiewicz–OSGE partnership supports Poland’s energy transition, which in 2025 was defined as one of the four strategic directions of the Łukasiewicz Research Network.
