Azoty Police Group, the US-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) and the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin have signed an agreement to build a fourth-generation MMR research modular reactor in Police.

The agreement concerns the development and construction of a research nuclear power facility equipped with ultra-safe MMR (Micro-Modular-Reactor) nuclear reactor technology from the USNC. In the next six months, the parties will develop a comprehensive research programme and jointly prepare a plan for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the MMR facility. 

In the first phase, a 30 MWt MMR reactor is planned to be built. The reactor will serve as a training, research and testing facility. It will be connected to the energy infrastructure of Grupa Azoty Police, providing a unique opportunity to research, test, optimise and integrate a zero-emission MMR energy source into an industrial facility.

The experience of the last several months, above all the situation on the gas market, has shown how important the diversification of energy sources is for the operation of domestic business. “I have no doubt that investments in this direction should be prioritised, hence we support all projects – including, of course, SMR and MMR technologies – aimed at developing sources of stable and low-carbon energy in Poland”, said Karol Rabenda, Deputy Minister of State Assets.  

The agreement was made as part of the US-Poland cooperation in this area, formally established by the February 2021 intergovernmental agreement. 

‘The deployment of our high-temperature nuclear batteries together with Grupa Azoty and the West Pomeranian University of Technology paves the way for decarbonisation and the construction of a modern nuclear infrastructure and the development of a nuclear energy workforce in Poland’, said Francesco Venneri, CEO and founder of the USNC.

Adrian Andrzejewski