Poland is moving closer to selecting a contractor for its second large-scale nuclear power plant. Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka has declared that the decision will not be politically driven, but based on price, the involvement of Polish companies, and capital commitment. The final choice is expected in 2028, with the location to be determined earlier.
Work on updating the Polish Nuclear Energy Program (PPEJ) has been completed, with the document calling for between 6 and 9 GW of nuclear capacity. The first plant in Choczewo will supply about 3.7 GW, and the government plans to build a second unit in the 2030s. „Energy security cannot be built for years without nuclear energy,” Motyka said during a press conference announcing the updated program. He stressed that beyond security, stable prices and economic growth are key goals.
Deputy Energy Minister Wojciech Wrochna noted that the new PPEJ is more realistic than its predecessor. „If I said today that we will select the technology and partner this year, sign a contract next year, and start building, you would think we are all crazy,” he said. Wrochna added that negotiations over the EPC contract for the first plant between Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) and the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium are ongoing, with a timeline of under a year – a pace achieved only once before, in the UAE’s Barakah project.
Four candidate locations
The updated PPEJ identifies Bełchatów and Konin as preferred locations for the second plant, with Kozienice and Połaniec as reserve options. The government aims to choose the partner and technology in 2027, and the location in 2028. „The model for building and operating the second plant on the market will be largely defined by the European Commission’s decision for the first plant,” Wrochna said.
Local content is a major focus. For the first plant in Choczewo, the share of Polish companies is expected to be 40%. For the second, it is planned to reach 70%. While such rigid local content targets cannot be written into the EPC contract, the government sees them as a strategic priority for the domestic industry.
International partner selection
The United States, Canada, South Korea, and France have been invited to participate in talks and a competitive dialogue for the second reactor. Minister Motyka emphasized that the selection will be based on economic criteria. „We will not politically choose anyone who offers worse conditions – worse in terms of price, worse in terms of Polish company involvement, and worse in terms of capital commitment,” he stated.
The Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe company will coordinate the second plant’s development, with a significant role also envisioned for Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE). According to Wrochna, PGE’s strategy involves participating in the investment at the location and technology level, but without an investor stake. The PPEJ is to be made public in the coming days and adopted by the Council of Ministers in July 2026.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Albert Zawada / PAP
