A few weeks before the selection of an investor for the first nuclear power plant in Poland, ZPP published a memorandum on the matter. Three options are being considered and, as the organization points out, each of the companies has extensive experience in building nuclear reactors.
The Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (ZPP) has published a memorandum on plans to build a nuclear power plant in Poland. The organization points out that the beginning of the use of atomic energy in Poland took place more than 50 years ago. On August 12, 1971, the then authorities decided to build a power plant. Half a century after this decision, at the end of 2021, the Polish Nuclear Power Plant chose the seaside municipality of Choczevo as the site for the construction of the first Polish nuclear power plant. Construction work should start in 2026, and the first unit of the power plant with a capacity of approximately 1-1.6 GW should be commissioned in six years. Every two to three years, another one of the six units with a total installed capacity of about 9 GW will be commissioned.
The RFP indicates that in parallel with the state project for the construction of a large nuclear power plant, the so-called largest Polish companies are interested in small nuclear power plants. SMRs (Small Modular Reactors), because we are talking about them, should be more “efficient”, both in terms of the implementation time of the investment, and in terms of the management of such units. The power of modular nuclear power plants, consisting of several individual reactors, can be adapted to local needs and network conditions. In addition, this type of power plants, due to the variety of technologies being developed, can be widely used in the future, depending on the needs of investors (starting from electricity generation, through heat production for technological needs at large industrial enterprises). , for use in district heating).
The estimates given by the Polish Institute of Economics show that the construction of two nuclear power plants in Poland will cost approximately PLN 184 billion. According to the organization, within two decades, nuclear energy will provide electricity to Poland at a level of 26 to 38 percent. requirement.
According to PIE analysts, the share of Polish companies in nuclear construction in a realistic scenario could be from 50 to 70 percent. The value of investments made by Polish companies is about PLN 130 billion, which should provide PLN 26.4 thousand. up to 39.6 thousand new jobs.
Who is the investor? Three options in the game
In the meantime, as evidenced by the statements of government representatives, an investor for the first nuclear power plant in our country should be selected in the coming weeks. Interest in selling technology and creating infrastructure was expressed by:
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France - submission in October 2021 of a proposal from the EDF group indicating two to three sites in Poland for nuclear power plants with a declared total installed capacity of 6.6 to 9.9 GW,
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South Korea - which in April 2022 submitted to the Government of Poland a proposal from the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) concern, involving the construction of 6 reactors with a total capacity of 8.4 GW,
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United States - whose Westinghouse Electric Company and Bechtel were the last to submit a proposal to the government to build nuclear power plants (however, details of the proposal were not disclosed until publication).
ZPP notes that all of the above companies have extensive experience in building nuclear reactors, and the technologies proposed to Poland are successfully operating in the world. Four Westinghouse AP 1000 units are in operation in China and two are under construction in the US. The Chinese plan to build four more such units. In turn, two Korean APR1400 units are currently in use in South Korea and one is in use in the United Arab Emirates. Seven more units are currently under construction in these countries. On the other hand, the French EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) is a type of reactor that has been operating in Chinese Taishan for several years. The following plants will be completed soon: Olkiluoto in Finland, a block in Flamanville, France, and Hinckley Point in the UK.
According to the ZPP, frequent direct talks recently held by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki with three government representatives from countries vying for a major contract (the head of the Polish government spoke in recent weeks with US Vice President Kamala Harris, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and French President Emmanuel Macron) testify to the careful selection of the winner in the struggle for the construction of the Polish nuclear power plant. The choice of such a strategic partner - as noted in the organization - is not only a financial calculation, but also a political and strategic issue. Each of the competitors is tied to Poland’s economic ties, whether in the EU, NATO or in the field of armaments.
Nuclear Power Group Grows
The organization cites data showing that Poles’ support for nuclear power is growing. In 2006, according to a CBOS poll conducted at the time, the percentage of people against nuclear energy was as high as 56%. A poll conducted 15 years later for the Ministry of Climate and Environment showed a very different trend - as many as 62.5 percent are in favor of building a power plant. respondents. An ARC Rynek i Opinia study conducted more than a month ago, i.e. already during the ongoing energy crisis and hostilities in Ukraine, shows that as many as 64 percent. The Poles want to speed up work at large nuclear power plants.
Source: Wprost
