Billionaire Sees Poland’s Small Nuclear Reactors Online in 2030
(Bloomberg) -- Poland will see nuclear power entering its energy mix in less than five years as small reactors gain traction in the European country, predicted billionaire Michal Solowow.
A joint venture of his company Synthos and state-controlled Orlen SA sees the first small modular reactor coming online in late 2030, he said at Bloomberg’s Future of Finance conference in the Polish capital Warsaw.
That’s much earlier than the government’s plan for the country’s first large nuclear plant, which is scheduled to start operations in 2036.
Although his project is private, Solowow anticipates government support for the investment, saying that there’s no room in the budget to support construction of another plant. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s cabinet has already committed 60 billion zloty ($16.7 billion) to the large nuclear power facility.
The authorities “really want to have small modular reactors because we can’t afford to build the second nuclear plant,” said Solowow on Thursday.
Solowow, 63, has long called for his country to cut energy prices in order to attract investments. He’s blamed elevated taxes, including carbon allowance permits, and aging power plants for recently propelling electricity costs for the country’s businesses to some of the highest in the world.
The businessman has a portfolio of investments from chemicals and energy to ceramic tiles in several European countries, including the Netherlands and France. Now, he wants to bring cheaper and clean energy to Poland by building small-scale nuclear reactors to replace aging coal-fired plants.
Solowow partnered with GE Vernova Inc. in its BWRX-300 reactor project and plans to build at least 26 such units in Poland through his joint venture with Orlen.
He also estimated that Poland could save €310 billion ($365 billion) to €370 billion over 60 years by betting on SMRs while cutting some plans for green energy.
“By making a small adjustment in the energy mix we could save huge money,” he said on Thursday.
©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
