After months of delays and bureaucratic reshuffles, the Polish Ministry of Energy has completed work on the updated Nuclear Power Programme (PPEJ). The document, which lays out a roadmap for building up to 9 GWe of nuclear capacity by the 2040s, confirms the first plant in Lubiatowo-Kopalino will use Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, with the first unit set to start commercial operation in 2036. A second large-scale plant is planned, with Bełchatów and Konin as preferred locations, and a strategic partner will be chosen by 2027.
The PPEJ was first drafted in 2014 and last updated in 2020. The new version had been awaited by the industry for years, as the energy landscape shifted dramatically with Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ensuing crisis in fossil fuel markets. Work initially fell under the Ministry of Industry, but after a government reshuffle, it was transferred to the Ministry of Energy, which spent months incorporating feedback from the Supreme Audit Office and other stakeholders.
Government commissioner for critical infrastructure Wojciech Wrochna had promised the document would be published in May. The final version, presented on 12 June 2026, arrived with a slight delay but was welcomed by the sector. The Ministry of Energy organised a press conference to outline the strategy, which has already received over 1,000 comments from nearly 70 entities during public consultations.
Two large reactors, two locations
The programme maintains the goal of building nuclear plants with a total installed capacity of 6 to 9 GWe using proven Generation III+ large-scale water reactors. The first plant in Lubiatowo-Kopalino (Choczewo commune) will have three AP1000 reactors with a combined capacity of 3.75 GWe. The investor, Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, a wholly state-owned special-purpose vehicle, has already applied for a construction permit and begun preparatory work on site. State aid was approved by the European Commission in December 2025.
The second plant will be built in central Poland, likely replacing coal-fired units at Bełchatów or Konin. A competitive dialogue involving the United States, France, and Canada was launched in 2025, and the final technology and contractor selection is expected in 2027. Together, the two plants would deliver around 7.5 GWe, leaving room for additional capacity – possibly via small modular reactors (SMRs), which are being developed separately and will be addressed in a dedicated roadmap due this month.
Geopolitical context and economic rationale
The updated PPEJ explicitly links the nuclear push to energy security. “The significance of this area has grown substantially as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis,” said a representative of the Ministry of Energy. The document also cites the recent conflict with Iran, which has disrupted oil and gas markets, as a further argument for diversifying away from fossil fuels.
Nuclear power is presented as the only dispatchable zero-emission source that can be deployed at scale in Poland. The ministry argues that it will curb long-term electricity price increases and reduce exposure to volatile coal, oil, and gas prices. “When we account for system costs, network costs, environmental and health externalities, nuclear becomes the cheapest source of electricity,” the ministry stated during the conference. The strategy is also meant to halt deindustrialisation by securing competitive power for energy-intensive industries such as steel and chemicals.
The government has set six priority tasks for the administration: developing human resources, building a domestic supply chain, ensuring regulatory stability, strengthening international cooperation, managing radioactive waste, and promoting public acceptance. Separate strategic documents will cover nuclear safety and waste management. The Ministry of Energy also emphasised that the programme is part of a broader energy policy update, which this month includes the National Energy and Climate Plan (KPEiK) and the upcoming SMR roadmap.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. josefkubes / Shutterstock
