KGHM has submitted to the National Atomic Energy Agency the first application in Poland for the evaluation of SMR technology, KGHM Polska Miedź CEO Marcin Chludziński said. The estimated cost of building the power plant, including infrastructure, is $1.5-2bn. – added the company’s vice-president Andrzej Kensbok.
“This is a historic day not only for KGHM but also for Poland. We are taking another significant step towards the atom. Today – as the first in the country – we have submitted an application to the National Atomic Energy Agency for assessment of the SMR technology we want to implement. Thus, we are forgetting about the suppositional mode when talking about nuclear energy from small nuclear reactors in our country,” said Marcin Chludziński, CEO of KGHM Polska Miedź, during a press conference.
To historyczny dzień nie tylko dla @kghm_sa, ale także dla Polski. Dziś – jako pierwsi w kraju – złożyliśmy do @PAAtomistyki wniosek o ocenę technologii SMR, którą chcemy wdrożyć. Tym samym zapominamy o trybie przypuszczającym, mówiąc o SMR w Polsce
— Marcin Chludziński (@ChludzinskiM) July 8, 2022
KGHM’s vice-president Andrzej Kensbok said that “the estimated cost of building the power plant together with the infrastructure is $1.5-2 billion.”
“Our partner NuScale_Power’s technology is groundbreaking and has the support of President Joe Biden and the US administration. The US President’s speech at the G7 summit confirms once again that we have chosen the best solution,” added Kensbok
“Technologia naszego partnera @NuScale_Power jest przełomowa i ma wsparcie prezydenta Joe Bidena i amerykańskiej administracji. Wystąpienie prezydenta USA podczas szczytu G7 potwierdza po raz kolejny, że wybraliśmy najlepsze rozwiązanie”
Wiceprezes #KGHM ⚒️ @kensbok. pic.twitter.com/a29aLN0jND
— KGHM Polska Miedź (@kghm_sa) July 8, 2022
KGHM is working on the investment together with the US company NuScale.
As Chludziński said, the next step will be the preparation of a location study. He also noted that KGHM is considering several sites, the selection criteria include compliance with Polish law, environmental protection or economic issues.
“On top of that, work is already underway to set up a Test Control Centre in the country. Operators and nuclear specialists will be trained there,” he added.
In February this year, KGHM signed an agreement with the US company NuScale Power to begin work on the deployment of advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) in Poland. The copper company will commission the first reactors by 2029.