Poland to build three nuclear power plants

Poland plans to build three nuclear power plants with a total capacity of 9 GW by 2040. Under an agreement with the United States, Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse was picked for the first project, on the Baltic coast. The construction will begin in 2026, and the first reactor is expected to become operational in 2033. In parallel, ZE PAK and Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) signed a letter of intent with South Korean state-owned company Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to work on the development of another such project.

The first nuclear power plant in Poland will be built by Westinghouse Electric from the US, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed.

The government in Warsaw has unveiled plans to install six large pressurized water reactors by 2040 with a combined installed capacity of 6 GW to 9 GW.

In September, Poland signed an agreement with the US on cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy. Westinghouse has offered its AP1000 reactor technology.

The construction of the first reactor, with a capacity of 1 GW to 1.6 GW, is scheduled to begin in 2026

The first nuclear power plant will be built on the Baltic Sea coast, near the towns of Lubiatowo and Kopalino in the municipality of Choczewo. The plan is to begin the construction of the first, 1 GW to 1.6 GW reactor in 2026 and get it online in 2033.

As part of Poland’s plan to reduce dependence on coal, other reactors should be built every two years. Poland relies on coal to produce 70% of its electricity.

Nuclear power plants would ensure the country’s independence from the electricity market and exchange

The Polish government believes that nuclear energy is important for energy security. The Prime Minister of Poland pointed out that the state needs stable energy that will replace coal. Morawiecki said the future nuclear power plants would ensure the country’s independence from the electricity exchange and market.

Poland received offers also from France’s EDF and South Korean state-owned company Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), with which a letter of intent was signed.

South Korea’s KHNP joins planning for Patnow nuclear plant

Within the framework of Poland’s nuclear program, the Ministry of State Assets of Poland, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea, Polish companies ZE PAK and Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE), and Korean KHNP agreed to cooperate on plans for a nuclear power plant.

To be sure, nuclear isn’t a quick fix. This all takes time ⏰

Poland needs 4-5 years of preparation work before starting construction of nuclear power plant with South Korea, Deputy PM Jacek Sasin said at televised press conference in Seoul on Monday

— Stephen Stapczynski (@SStapczynski) October 31, 2022

They signed a letter of intent to assess the sustainability of a nuclear power plant with South Korean APR1400 reactors in Patnow near Łódź, in the central part of the country. The three companies said they would perform geotechnical, seismic, and environmental analyses. They added they would draw up a preliminary plan by the end of the year, World Nuclear News reported.

Wojciech Dąbrowski, president of the state-owned PGE, said Poland must invest in nuclear energy on a large scale to replace coal-based energy. As Poland’s largest energy company, PGE has the task to lead the energy transition in the country.

The agreement with South Korean partners came two days after Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that Westinghouse was selected for the first nuclear power plant

The agreement with South Korean partners came two days after Morawiecki announced that Westinghouse was selected for the first segment of the 9 GW nuclear plan. According to officials, investments in nuclear energy in Poland could amount to nearly EUR 40 billion.

Power grid requires massive investments to to integrate renewable sources, nuclear plants

Grid connection refusals have become the main obstacle to the decarbonization of the Polish energy mix in recent years. Although the country is making progress in deploying renewable energy sources and has plans for nuclear energy, the electricity grid is underdeveloped.

The country’s electricity grid requires investments of at least EUR 25 billion

According to a recent report on the energy transition in Poland, the country’s electricity grid requires investments of at least EUR 25 billion to enable the transition from coal to renewable sources and nuclear energy, EurActiv reports.

According to a report by ClientEarth, network operators rejected nearly 6,000 connections between 2015 and 2021, blocking about 30 GW of mainly renewable energy capacities.