SGE, Altra and GE Vernova Hitachi sign MoU on BWRX-300 in Lithuania

SGE (Synthos Green Energy), Lithuania’s state-owned operator Altra and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington on 27 February 2026 to assess the potential deployment of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor in Lithuania. The MoU establishes a formal framework to determine whether the BWRX-300 can fit into Lithuania’s long-term energy plans and begins a structured feasibility process that explicitly targets technical and economic questions.

The agreement sets out the study scope in operational terms. The agreement creates a framework to assess the technical and economic feasibility of the BWRX-300 reactor. The study will examine technological solutions, safety standards, and licensing requirements, alongside broader market and economic factors. World Nuclear News reported that Lithuania’s Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas and US Department of Energy deputies Rian Bahran and Elizabeth Urbanas were present at the Washington signing, underlining that regulatory and international cooperation issues are already on the table.

Altra, operator of the Ignalina nuclear plant, framed the move as a capabilities-driven assessment. Linas Bauzys, CEO of Altra, said: "We have nuclear energy experience and competencies that can be valuable when discussing next-generation solutions that strengthen national energy security and long-term system stability." Bauzys added: "In the context of a rapidly changing energy landscape, we must objectively assess various advanced technologies and their applicability in Lithuania. The BWRX-300 is one of the most advanced small modular reactor technologies currently under development, making it a natural option to analyze as part of future energy solutions."

SGE and GE Vernova Hitachi positioned the MoU as part of a wider Central and Eastern Europe push. Rafał Kasprów, CEO of SGE, said: "Lithuania’s energy transformation requires stable, zero-emission power that strengthens system security and supports long-term economic development ... the BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactor is designed to meet these needs ... we are taking a structured step toward assessing the role of the BWRX‑300 within Lithuania’s long-term energy framework." Sean Sexstone, Executive Vice President, Advanced Nuclear at GE Vernova Hitachi, referenced GVH’s build experience: "The experience gained as we build the first commercial-scale SMR in the western world with Ontario Power Generation, as well as our collaboration with SGE, strongly positions us to successfully deploy the technology in Lithuania and other European countries."

The Lithuania MoU sits alongside a separate Poland Generic Design Agreement that GVH signed with Orlen Synthos Green Energy, known as OSGE, on 24 February 2026 in Washington D.C. That PGDA ceremony included U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy James Danly, Poland’s Minister of Energy Miłosz Motyka and government plenipotentiary Wojciech Wrochna. OSGE, which Gevernova and Neimagazine describe as a 50/50 joint venture formed in 2022 between ORLEN S.A. and SGE, has identified Włocławek, Ostrołęka and Stawy Monowskie as priority sites and aims to deliver a first unit near Włocławek by 2032 as part of an ambition to construct up to 24 reactors across six sites in Poland by the early 2030s.

What comes next is procedural and concrete: obtain the full MoU text, confirm which entity will fund and run the feasibility study, and clarify whether Lithuania’s regulator and the Energy Ministry will set licensing milestones and timelines. The Washington signings on 24 and 27 February 2026 make clear that GVH and SGE are moving simultaneously on design development in Poland and feasibility work in Lithuania; the immediate downstream questions are funding, regulator engagement and site selection before any construction decisions can be contemplated.