More support for nuclear power - survey

Thirty-nine percent of Poles are in favour of building nuclear power plants in Poland, 5 percentage points more than in 2018, a survey by the CBOS pollster revealed on Wednesday.

Forty-five percent of the respondents were against the construction of nuclear plants in Poland, 5 percentage points fewer than in 2018.

According to the government's Energy Strategy, Poland plans to construct six nuclear power units. The first reactor may be operating in 2033, and all six should be up and running by 2043.

Forty-four percent of those surveyed said nuclear energy was a necessary alternative for Poland if the country wanted to resign from coal as an energy fuel, while 37 percent disagreed. Forty-two percent believed modern technology permitted the construction of an environmentally safe nuclear plant.

Nuclear energy finds more support among men (55 percent) than women (25 percent), and predominantly among educated urban dwellers under the age of 35. It is most opposed by medium- and low-bracket earners between the ages of 55 and 64 as well as small farmers, CBOS wrote.

CBOS noted that one of the main reasons for continuing doubts about nuclear energy was the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in 2011.

The survey was carried out from May 6 to 16 on a sample of 1,163 Poles.