Under the Polish government’s energy strategy, Poland is seeking partners to construct six nuclear power units with a total capacity of 6 to 9 gigawatts (GW). Westinghouse, a US supplier of nuclear products and technologies, could well help build the country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP), a deputy prime minister has said.
Poland has already signed an inter-governmental agreement with the US under which, in mid-September, Westinghouse offered to build six large-scale reactors based on American technology, in addition to proposing cooperation on civil nuclear energy. The first reactor should start working in 2033, generating some 1-1.6 GW of power. Subsequent reactors would be constructed every two years.
Poland has also received offers for the construction of nuclear power plants from France’s EDF and South Korea’s state-owned KHNP.
Jacek Sasin, who is also Poland’s minister for state assets, told reporters on Wednesday that following talks on Sunday in the US “there are many indications, though there is no decision yet, that it will be America’s Westinghouse,” referring to the choice of technology for the country’s first nuclear plant.
He added that Poland was also looking for cooperation opportunities with South Korean partners and that as part of a business project, “parallel” to the governmental one, this will should be finalised.
Polish media have reported that the state-controlled power utility PGE and power plant operator ZE PAK are close to signing a letter of intent with KHNP on building Poland’s second planned nuclear power plant in Patnow, central Poland.