The Polish government plans to invest $15.67 billion in the country’s first nuclear power plant. Westinghouse Electric and Bechtel will design and build the plant under a contract signed in September 2023 with Polish utility Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe.
According to Bechtel, the funding was announced after the companies met with key stakeholders in Warsaw and Gdansk to discuss the power plant development progress, including in-depth geological surveys at the construction site.
The nuclear plant, located at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in Pomerania, will use three Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactor units built to offer fully passive safety systems, modular construction design and the smallest footprint per MWe on the market. The facility is expected to be operational by 2033.
“This project will drive more than 100 billion zloty of economic impact in Poland, creating tens of thousands of jobs during construction and the many decades of operation to come,” said Patrick Fragman, Westinghouse president and CEO.
Westinghouse and Bechtel are preparing Poland’s workforce for the emerging nuclear power industry. Recently, Gdansk University of Technology and Warsaw University of Technology agreed with Bechtel to offer new Nuclear Energy Career Development Programs.
The American companies’ collaboration with the Polish government began after it selected the United States as its partner in establishing the first of two planned nuclear power plants.
“The United States is proud to be Poland’s closest partner, and most trusted friend, in the clean energy transition,” said Mark Brzezinski, U.S. ambassador to Poland. “Poland’s selection of Westinghouse and Bechtel — two gold standard American companies — to advance the country’s civil nuclear power program brings energy security to the core of our collaboration.”