SGE unveils pioneering plan for 4.2GW SMR fleet in the UK

SGE, a European Small Modular Reactor (SMR) development and investment platform, has announced its plans to build fourteen GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactors in the UK - hailed as Britain's largest privately-led nuclear investment.

Three sites have been selected for the fleet deployment which will have a combined capacity of 4.2GW. This is enough to power almost eight million homes for at least sixty years, states SGE.

SGE will work alongside GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Samsung C&T, Laing O'Rourke, Aecon Group Inc., Google Cloud, Fermi Development, Etara to deploy the projects.

SGE has submitted an application under the UK's Advanced Nuclear Framework (ANF) to develop the projects and has established SGE SMR UK Limited as its dedicated UK-based project vehicle.

Development proposal

SGE's proposal reflects a fleet-based development model, centred on repeatable deployment at scale. The project is targeting three multi-unit sites, the first to host six BWRX-300 units, with two further sites to follow in quick succession.

In total, the programme represents a significant addition to the UK's future nuclear capacity and supports the country's long-term energy security, clean power and industrial growth ambitions.

The UK project builds on significant regulatory groundwork already in place for the BWRX-300, a tenth generation, proven technology that draws on the experience of 67 successful reactor deployments.

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The technology is under licensed construction in Canada and is on schedule to be the first SMR to operate in the OECD. In December 2025, the BWRX-300 successfully completed Step 2 of the UK's Generic Design Assessment.

SGE plans to deploy under a Contract for Difference framework with National Wealth Fund engagement, meaning there will be no charges to consumers prior to operations.

Rafał Kasprów, CEO of SGE, commented in a statement: "The submission of our application under the Advanced Nuclear Framework marks a major milestone in our ambition to develop a fleet of BWRX-300 small modular reactors across the UK and the European Union.

“With a clear requirement for substantial new nuclear capacity over the coming decades, we believe our approach can make a meaningful contribution at scale. Standardisation, repetition, modularisation, and a fleet deployment strategy are the most effective ways to deliver new nuclear projects successfully, reducing costs, construction risk, and delivery times.”

Jason Cooper, CEO of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, added: "SGE's vision reflects the growing momentum behind new nuclear across Europe and the critical role SMRs can play in strengthening energy security while delivering reliable, lower-carbon electricity. With construction already underway at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Ontario, Canada, the first commercial-scale SMR under construction in the western world, the BWRX-300 offers the confidence that comes from real project execution."

SGE anticipates this project will enter the Advanced Nuclear Pipeline in November 2026, with site selection and government support scheme negotiations completed in the first half of 2027. Commercial operation of the first unit is targeted for 2034.