Poland signs pre-design contract for its first nuclear power plant

Poland's nuclear power firm Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ) and the US firm Westinghouse have signed a contract for pre-design works on the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant (NPP).

The contract covers 10 areas of preparatory works including the development of an investment implementation model, preparation of safety evaluation, setting up a quality control programme and the identification of subcontractors. 

The contract is intended to allow PEJ and Westinghouse to start the first pre-design work before an executive contract is agreed.

In November 2022, the Polish government approved a resolution on building large-scale nuclear power plants in Poland confirming the selection of Westinghouse as the technology provider for the first Polish nuclear power plant (NPP).

The country's first NPP will be located in Lubiatowo-Kopalino, a coastal location in the north of Poland, and the cost of its building has been estimated USD 20 billion.

Mark Brzezinski, the US ambassador to Poland, said at the signing of the contract that the nuclear power plant in Poland will be a significant factor in strengthening energy security, which is important for "national security" as well as in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.

According to him, there is no more important area of economic cooperation than energy. 

Climate Minister Anna Moskwa told a press conference on Wednesday, which followed the signing of the PEJ-Westinghouse agreement, that she expects another deal with Westinghouse, this time on designing the Polish nuclear power plant to be signed this year. 

"We are committed to signing the next contract, which will strengthen our cooperation even more, later this year... I hope before the summer holidays," she said.

Tomasz Stepien, PEJ’s CEO, said at the press conference: "Today we are implementing this milestone - from the conceptual phase, we are entering the pre-design, preparatory phase."

He also confirmed that the design contract for Poland's first nuclear power plant 

will be signed still this year.

Stepien also said that he expects the final executive contract for the first Polish NPP to be signed in 2026.

The first reactor should start working in 2033 and subsequent reactors will be constructed every two years.