How to support the efficient development of new nuclear units
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are designed to be standardised and repeatable, but the first projects will still be delivered as complex nuclear infrastructure developments rather than off-the-shelf products. In this paper, Maciej Antoniak and Bartosz Brzyski of DWF Poland examine how contracts can support the effective delivery of first-of-a-kind SMR projects. The paper considers how risk should be allocated between technology vendors, owners and local contractors, and why a split delivery structure is emerging in place of a traditional vendor-led turnkey EPC model.
Explore the contractual structures and risk-allocation mechanisms that could support the successful delivery of the next generation of SMR projects.
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The authors explore:- The regulatory, social and contractual challenges affecting faster SMR deployment.
- The suitability of EPC, EPCM, integrated project delivery and alliance contracting models.
- The allocation of design, licensing, construction, interface and nuclear liability risks.
- Price adjustment, indexation and hardship mechanisms for first-of-a-kind projects.
- SMR-specific considerations, including modularity, manufacturing capacity, factory oversight, phased acceptance and learning across successive units.
- Lifecycle services and the allocation of operational performance risk after completion.
- The key regulatory and contractual considerations facing foreign technology vendors entering the Polish market.
Publication acknowledgement
This paper was first prepared for publication in the Nuclear Inter Jura 2026 conference proceedings (October 2026) of the International Nuclear Law Association.
