Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe Company have signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Westinghouse Electric Company, whose AP1000 technology was selected for the first nuclear power plant in Poland by the Government of the Republic of Poland.
On 15 December 2022, in the presence of Anna Moskwa, Minister of Climate and Environment, Mateusz Berger, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, and Mark Brzeziński, United States Ambassador to Poland, Tomasz Stępień, President of the Management Board of Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), and David Durham, President of Westinghouse Electric Company Energy Systems (WEC), signed the Cooperation Agreement, following the Polish Government’s selection of the American WEC AP1000 technology for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Poland.
The agreement defines the main principles and business steps that will be taken by PEJ and WEC in 2023. It includes key assumptions for tasks to be implemented, such as negotiating and signing agreements, i.a., Engineering Services Contracts, which will cover preparatory and conceptual works, including initial design works, licensing and permitting support, site development services and procurement and construction planning services. The next step in the Project will be the signing, in 2023, of an agreement between the companies for the design of the nuclear power plant to be built in Pomerania.
‘Signing the agreement today opens a new stage of the execution of the Polish Nuclear Power Program and contributes to the development of our close partnership with the US. It also delivers an important message for the national industry, allowing it to grow and develop during the construction and operation of the nuclear power plant. The execution of the program to build new nuclear power generation capacity entails tangible benefits for the economy, and also ensures predictable energy prices for the users, which is especially important for the energy-intensive enterprises affected by the current crisis and high cost of energy’ Anna Moskwa, Minister of Climate and Environment said.
‘The signing of the Cooperation Agreement follows the Government’s resolution on the selection of the plant vendor for the first nuclear power plant in Poland. I believe that the partnership with Westinghouse Electric Company, a company that has vast experience in the preparation and implementation of investments, will translate into efficient implementation of the Polish Nuclear Power Program. As it was highlighted by the Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, during the press conference after the adoption of the resolution, in order for Poland to further develop economically, it needs to have cheap, clean, and stable electricity, and nuclear power is a natural choice in this situation. The development of nuclear power will also have an impact on Poland building its independence from fossil fuels from the East, which will directly translate into Polish energy security,’ Mateusz Berger, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure said.
‘Today’s agreement is another big step towards Poland’s goal of safe and reliable nuclear energy from a trusted partner. This key pillar of our bilateral relations will ensure Poland’s energy security while reducing emissions’ Mark Brzezinski, United States Ambassador to Poland said.
‘Less than a year ago we designated the preferred site for the first nuclear power plant, and today, after months of hard work, we can say that we fulfilled another objective that we set for 2022. With the agreement signed we can move to more detailed works and commercial arrangements with the US party. It is also the first step towards the commencement of the design of the construction of the nuclear power plant in Pomerania,’ said Tomasz Stępień, President of the Management Board of Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe.
‘Westinghouse is eager to continue this journey with our Polish partners to deliver clean, safe and secure nuclear power for the people of Poland,” said David Durham, President of Energy Systems at Westinghouse. ‘This framework agreement sets us up for success as we look ahead to commercial operation of Poland’s first AP1000 reactors.’
Poland’s first nuclear power plant is to be built in Pomerania. In 2021, Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, after a series of unprecedented surveys and analyses, identified “Lubiatowo-Kopalino” as the preferred site for a nuclear power plant with a capacity of up to 3,750 MWe. In 2022, the company submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment Report to the General Directorate for Environmental Protection, which is necessary to obtain the decision on environmental conditions being one of the decisions required for the construction to commence. Activities were also intensified in relation to both planning the construction of accompanying infrastructure and facilitating the dialogue in the site area.
