Poland advances plan for first nuclear power plant

Warsaw, April 28 (IANS) Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ), the state-owned company responsible for overseeing the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant, signed a new Engineering Development Agreement (EDA) on Monday with the American consortium Westinghouse-Bechtel to advance the next phase of the project.

The EDA, which replaces the previous Engineering Service Contract that expired in April, covers detailed design work, the securing of administrative approvals, and the advancement of geological surveys at the Choczewo site in northern Poland.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who attended the signing ceremony alongside US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, noted that key terms of the new agreement were renegotiated across 16 areas to strengthen investment security, Xinhua news agency reported.

"This initial investment has been secured through a new and improved agreement," Tusk said after the meeting.

He added that the deal had been renegotiated under his government -- which came into power in late 2023, after the nuclear plans had been announced -- so that it was more beneficial to Poland.

"Thanks to modifications across 16 areas, this investment is becoming more secure, and the guarantees provide us with a sense of safety for this investment," Tusk said.

The EDA sets the framework for continued cooperation between PEJ and the consortium following the expiry of the current Engineering Service Contract.

It covers design work, securing administrative decisions, licenses and permits, as well as additional geological studies at the project site in Lubiatowo-Kopalino, northern Poland.

The two sides are also preparing to sign a construction contract, pending the European Commission's approval of a 60 billion zloty (€14 billion) government financing package earmarked for PEJ.

"I believe that this will also mark the beginning of many years of collaboration in this area between Poland and the US, and we will build more such nuclear reactors, both in Poland and in other countries across Europe, as we possess the appropriate skills, which Polish workers will gain through cooperation with American partners," US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.

PEJ, the project investor and future operator, plans to use Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology.

Construction of the plant is scheduled to begin in 2028, with the first reactor expected to become operational by 2035 and full integration into the national power grid planned for 2036.

--IANS

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