First Polish nuclear power plant obtains a location permit in Pomerania

The project for Poland’s first nuclear power plant has received a location decision from the Pomeranian Voivodeship. The plant will be built at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site on the Baltic Sea coast. Poland’s first nuclear power plant is set to have three AP1000 reactors supplied by US company Westinghouse, with a total installed capacity of 3 750 MW.

Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) announced that it had received a location decision for the project for Poland’s first nuclear power plant from the authorities of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. According to PEJ, this is one of the most important administrative decisions required to begin construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site.

“This is another key decision in the preparatory work for the plant. The decision, together with the engineering services agreement recently signed with our US partners, shows that we are reaching further milestones and that the nuclear power plant in Pomerania is the most advanced nuclear project in the country. We are pressing ahead and continuing our work to ensure that Poland’s first nuclear power plant generates electricity as planned,” said Anna Łukaszewska-Trzeciakowska, the government’s plenipotentiary for strategic energy infrastructure.

The location decision gives PEJ the right to use the land for preparatory work and construction of the nuclear power plant, as well as for its subsequent operation. In addition, the decision specifies in detail the project’s geographical scope, both on land and at sea, and sets out technical, environmental, fire safety and other requirements for its implementation.

Poland’s nuclear future

Poland currently relies on coal-fired sources for electricity generation and has no nuclear power plants in operation. Nuclear power, alongside renewables, is therefore seen as a response to climate targets and future electricity generation needs. Based on a government decision made last November, the first nuclear power plant will have AP1000 reactors supplied by US company Westinghouse. The total installed capacity of the three-unit plant is expected to be 3750 MW.

“Our project will bring a range of socioeconomic benefits to the entire Pomerania region. The Lubiatowo-Kopalino site has been designated as the preferred location since 2021 because it balances environmental considerations, socioeconomic factors and nuclear safety. Obtaining the location decision for Poland’s first nuclear power plant is another milestone the company has reached this year, bringing us, as the investor, closer to starting construction of the plant,” said Mateusz Berger, chairman of PEJ’s management board.

Poland plans to begin construction of the plant in 2026, with the first nuclear electricity expected to be supplied to the grid in 2033. This year, PEJ has already signed an engineering services agreement with US companies Westinghouse Electric Company and Bechtel to complete the plant’s detailed design.