Poland signs contract for design of 1st nuclear plant

2023-09-28 22:09:36

WARSAW,

Sept. 28 (Xinhua)

Polish utility Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ) on Wednesday signed an agreement with Westinghouse and Bechtel, leaders of the U.S. nuclear power sector, for the design of Poland's first nuclear power plant.

Under the 18-month contract, hundreds of reports and studies will be generated, including the design of supply chains and the preparation of documentation required to obtain a building permit for the 3,750 megawatt (MWe) plant.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who attended the signing ceremony, hailed the "historic" deal, which "marks the start of a new energy era" in the country.

"By developing nuclear energy, we secure the stability of our energy system and base it on ecological energy sources, reducing our dependence on oil and gas imports," he said.

In December 2021, the 100 percent state treasury-owned PEJ designated the site of the plant near Lubiatowo-Kopalino in the coastal province of Pomerania. Construction is planned to start in 2026 and the first reactor is scheduled to be operational in 2033. The estimated cost of the investment is over PLN 100 billion (22.74 billion U.S. dollars).