US mulls $979 million investment in Poland's first nuclear plant

The US International Development Finance Corporation (US DFC) is considering investing over 4 billion zlotys (over $979 million) to fund the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant, the Polish company involved in the project announced on November 13.

As Poland looks to reduce its dependence on carbon-heavy coal, it has selected Westinghouse Electric to build the country’s inaugural nuclear plant on the Baltic Sea coast, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The project, estimated to cost around $40 billion, is expected to be fully operational by 2040.

Wojciech Rosiński, the finance division director at PEJ (Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe), the company responsible for nuclear development, remarked, "The involvement of this key entity (US DFC) provides more than just financial backing. It demonstrates the US administration's commitment to our project."

In summary, as governments around the world increasingly focus on decarbonisation and energy security, they are turning to nuclear energy as a solution to address both challenges.

Countries that have not previously hosted nuclear plants are rapidly developing the regulatory frameworks and infrastructure needed to join the community of nations harnessing peaceful nuclear energy.

On November 2, 2022, the Polish government announced the selection of the Westinghouse AP1000® reactor for its first nuclear energy project, to be located at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in northern Poland.

The AP1000 reactor is the world’s first proven Generation III+ pressurised water reactor, featuring state-of-the-art passive safety systems pioneered by Westinghouse.

Since the initial announcement, Westinghouse has teamed up with nuclear constructor Bechtel on the project to deliver the AP1000 reactors to Polish utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ).

In September 2024, the three parties signed the Engineering Services Contract, which will include finalising a site-specific design for three Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear islands.

Each AP1000 reactor, producing over 1,100 MWe, is capable of powering 750,000 homes and preventing the release of 7 million metric tons of CO2. Poland has long been dependent on fossil fuels, with coal accounting for approximately 70% of the country’s energy mix as of October 2022, according to Polish energy sources.

By Aghakazim Guliyev