Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish prime minister, has said that current nuclear power plants use technology that is safe for the environment and poses no risk to people.
On Friday, he confirmed that Westinghouse, a US supplier of nuclear products and technologies, will help build the country’s first nuclear power plant.
At the same time, the prime minister sought to quell fears over the risks of using nuclear energy.
“Today, nuclear power plants are built using completely new technologies,” Morawiecki told a public TV station on Sunday night.
He said that due to the technology developed in the US, reactors go underground in the event of danger, and there is no risk of radioactive spills and no concerns for the safety of local residents.
“I am convinced that these latest technologies are super-safe and very needed for Poland,” Morawiecki said.
He announced that Poland plans to build three nuclear power plants comprising six reactors “to ensure Poland’s energy independence.”
“Nuclear power plants will help us to become independent from the market, the stock exchange and weather vagaries,” Morawiecki said.
He added that the construction of nuclear power plants does not exclude obtaining energy from renewable sources.
“However, we must have stable energy that today is provided by coal,” Morawiecki said.
In its nuclear energy programme, revised in 2020, Poland plans to have 6-9 GW of nuclear power capacity, with the first reactor to be launched in 2033.