Poland is moving closer to selecting a contractor for its second large-scale nuclear power plant, with the government planning to make a final decision on the technology partner in 2027 and on the location a year later. Four potential sites remain in the race, two of them preferred and two reserve.
The updated Polish Nuclear Power Programme (PPEJ), completed by the Ministry of Energy, sets a target of 6 to 9 GW of nuclear capacity. The first plant under construction in Choczewo, with American technology from Westinghouse-Bechtel, will provide about 3.7 GW. The second unit is to be built in the 2030s and will add another significant chunk of baseload power.
Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka stressed that the new programme is designed to ensure energy security, stable prices, and economic growth. – Security of energy cannot be built for years without nuclear power – he said during a press conference announcing the completion of the PPEJ update.
Four locations, two favourites
The updated PPEJ lists Bełchatów and Konin as preferred locations for the second nuclear plant, with Kozienice and Połaniec as reserve options. All four sites are already home to large coal-fired power plants or have strong grid connections, making them technically attractive for new nuclear units.
– We estimate that we will select the partner and technology in 2027, and the location in 2028 – said Deputy Energy Minister Wojciech Wrochna. He added that the construction and market model for the second plant will be largely based on the European Commission’s decision for the first plant.
The company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) will coordinate the project, but the government also sees a key role for state-owned utility PGE. According to Wrochna, PGE’s strategy assumes participation in the nuclear programme through locations and technology but without an investor stake.
Competition between four global players
Poland has invited Americans, Canadians, Koreans, and French to take part in talks and a competitive dialogue for the second nuclear power plant. – The choice of a partner obviously has a political dimension, but above all it should be based on the competitiveness of the Polish economy – declared Minister Motyka. – We will not politically select anyone who offers worse conditions. Worse in terms of price, worse in terms of the share of Polish companies, and worse in terms of capital commitment.
The government expects that local content in the second plant could reach 70 percent, significantly higher than the 40 percent target for the first plant in Choczewo. The nuclear programme also assumes that the second plant will benefit from experience gained during the first project, including negotiations on the EPC contract, which are still ongoing between PEJ and the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium. Wrochna noted that such contracts typically take 24 months or more to negotiate, but Poland has been in talks for less than a year.
The updated PPEJ is expected to be published in the coming days and adopted by the Council of Ministers in July.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Albert Zawada / PAP
