Polish small reactors project may get up to $4 bln in U.S. financing

WARSAW, April 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Export-Import Bank and U.S International Development Finance Corporation may lend up to $4 billion to Orlen Synthos Green Energy’s project to deploy small modular reactors (SMR) in Poland.

The EXIM Bank may lend up to $3 billion, and DFC may lend up to $1 billion to build and deploy the first two SMRs to be designed by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Orlen Synthos Green Energy said in a release after signing letters of intent with the U.S. institutions.

Poland's biggest refiner PKN Orlen and chemicals company Synthos plan to deploy Poland's first small nuclear reactors by 2030 to supplement the country's shift to nuclear power to reduce its carbon emissions and gradually phase out coal.

"We will present a total of 20 locations by the end of the year," Orlen chief executive Daniel Obajtek told a press conference.

He named seven preliminary locations, including Ostoleka, Dabrowa Gornicza, Warsaw and Krakow.

"I believe we will build this reactor, we will build tens of reactors in Poland but not only in Poland," Obajtek said, adding that he believed the first investment would kick off in 2026-27.

The government last year chose U.S. company Westinghouse Electric Co for the country's flagship nuclear power plant in northern Poland.