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From left in the front row, Kim Jung-wook, vice president of Samsung C&T, Rafal Kasprów, CEO of OSGE, Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, and Yasuhiro Takeuchi, vice president of Hitachi, pose for a commemorative photo at a business agreement ceremony held in New York on the 22nd local time. / Samsung C&T Construction Division

Samsung C&T's Construction Division has partnered with GE Vernova, Hitachi, and Synthos Green Energy (SGE) to target the European small modular reactor (SMR) market. By integrating technical, EPC, and business development capabilities, the companies aim to establish a business model for the repeated deployment of standardized SMRs across European nations.

Samsung C&T announced on the 23rd that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GE Vernova, Hitachi, and SGE on the 22nd (local time) to pursue market development and commercial opportunities for the BWRX-300 SMR during the Atlantic Council Nuclear Energy Policy Summit held in New York as a side event to the UN General Assembly.

Under this agreement, the four companies plan to materialize a European deployment strategy for the BWRX-300 and accelerate its early commercialization. The initiative envisions building a business model capable of repeatedly supplying SMRs of identical design across multiple countries by combining nuclear technology, industrial capabilities, global engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) competence, and regional business development expertise in Europe.

The BWRX-300's design and technology are provided by GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH), a joint venture between GE Vernova and Hitachi. As a 300 MW boiling water reactor, it simplifies and standardizes design based on proven commercial reactor technologies.

Samsung C&T will provide global EPC capabilities based on its extensive track record in major nuclear and energy infrastructure projects. Hitachi will support nuclear technology and industrial capabilities, while SGE will lead BWRX-300 fleet development and project development across Europe.

A business foundation is already established in Europe. SGE has secured Decisions in Principle for 26 BWRX-300 units in Poland and is currently developing three sites capable of accommodating the first 14 units. In the United Kingdom, SGE is advancing a 4.2 GW fleet totaling 14 units across three multi-unit sites, which has entered the Preliminary Regulatory Assessment Deep Dive phase overseen by the state-owned body Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N).

Building on this cooperation, Samsung C&T intends to uncover additional business opportunities across Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland and the UK. The move is seen as an effort to broaden its value chain encompassing technology, development, and EPC in the SMR sector while meeting Europe's growing demand for nuclear energy.

Meanwhile, the first unit of the BWRX-300 is currently under construction in Canada. Samsung C&T, GE Vernova, Hitachi, and SGE plan to expand their collaboration toward commercializing this technology and deploying it repeatedly across Europe.

Kim Jung-wook, executive vice president and head of the Global Business Operations at Samsung C&T, said, "Samsung C&T is cooperating with GVH to deploy the BWRX-300 and recently achieved meaningful progress at Studsvik in Sweden as well," adding, "It is deeply meaningful to open a new chapter in European SMR projects alongside GE Vernova, Hitachi, and SGE."

                                                                                                                Kim Da-bin