The United States has handed over to Poland its offer to build six large nuclear reactors. The country is one of three – along with France and South Korea – that is hoping to supply the technology and financing for Poland’s first nuclear power stations. Warsaw is set to choose between them this autumn.
The “detailed roadmap” handed over yesterday by US ambassador Mark Brzezinski was produced with US firms Westinghouse and Bechtel and is intended to align American AP1000 nuclear technology with the expectations of the Polish nuclear power programme.
To jeden z ważniejszych momentów w naszych stosunkach dwustronnych. Stany Zjednoczone oferują Polsce 100-letnie partnerstwo obejmujące światowej klasy technologię i finansowanie, które umożliwi stworzenie polskiego programu energetyki jądrowej. Fot. @MKiS_GOV_PL pic.twitter.com/pTntvUvSCz
— Ambasador Mark Brzezinski (@USAmbPoland) September 13, 2022
The final version of the report was reviewed and deemed complete by a bipartisan steering committee chaired by Poland’s deputy climate minister Adam Guibourgé-Czetwerty and US assistant secretary of energy Andrew Light.
“The Polish government will consider the report when making key decisions on the technology this autumn,” said Polish climate minister Anna Moskwa.
The other companies that have joined the race to develop nuclear energy in Poland include France’s EDF and South Korean Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP).
“I hope that Poland will choose a partnership with the US so that Poles can receive the safest, most developed and most trustworthy technology available,” said US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm.
“The report is a major step towards Poland’s development of a robust civil nuclear industry that is zero-carbon emitting and will result in another European source of energy that is free from Russian influence,” she added.
“This comprehensive report reflects the American commitment to Poland’s energy security and may begin an intensive development of multidimensional strategic relations in the field of security and economy,” said Brzezinski.
Poland’s nuclear plans foresee having six reactors operational by 2040 with a capacity of up to 9 gigawatts. The first – with a capacity of 1.0-1.6 GW – should go online by 2033.
The Polish government expects the partner in the nuclear programme to also take a 49% stake in the company managing the project and to provide financing in addition to technology.
Recent rapid changes in the energy market in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have added further urgency to the plans, with politicians saying that the need to develop nuclear power is greater than ever as Poland becomes independent of Russian energy sources.
“The use of nuclear energy in Poland will significantly contribute to the reduction of emissions, socio-economic development and increase the energy security of our country, which is the highest priority due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” said Moskwa.
Private and state-owned Polish firms have also been developing their own plans to build smaller-scale nuclear reactors.
Main photo credit: Markus Distelrath / Pexels
Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.
