US and Polish officials have signed an agreement to go ahead with the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant, under the Polish government’s policy to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
The Polish state-owned utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, PEJ, which is charged with overseeing the country’s nuclear programme, signed the agreement with a consortium of Westinghouse and Bechtel. The plant will be located about 280 km from Poland’s border with Germany, which recently shut down its last remaining nuclear reactors in line with its own national policy, and in 2022 the four German states closest to Poland said they were opposed to the Polish plan. There has also been some opposition to the plan within Poland on the grounds that the initial cost is prohibitive, and construction takes too long, but the opposition has not achieved any decisive results to date.
The current plan is for Poland to spend $40 billion on two nuclear plants, each with three reactors. The construction programme will come to a close in 2043. PEJ – a special purpose vehicle 100% owned by the State Treasury – applied to the ministry on 13 April for a decision-in-principle. The application included a description of project characteristics, indicating the maximum total installed capacity, the planned operating period and details of the Westinghouse AP1000 technology proposed for construction of the plant. In July the ministry issued a decision-in-principle, enabling the investor, PEJ, to apply for a number of further administrative decisions, including a siting decision and subsequently the construction licence.
The first three reactors will be built in the coastal Choczewo municipality in the province of Pomerania, with first power production in 2033. Poland has also signed agreements with South Korea for the construction of a second nuclear power plant as it develops its nuclear energy plans.
Image: Representatives from Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, Westinghouse and Bechtel sign the agreement to proveed with construction of Poland's first NPP in the presence of Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (top row, second from left) and US Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski (top row, second from right)
