Second nuclear power plant in Poland: Ministry issues key decision

Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment has issued a key decision on the construction of a second large nuclear power plant. Two APR1400 reactors supplied by South Korea’s KHNP are planned for the Patnów-Konin region.

PGE PAK Energia Jądrowa applied to the ministry to build the power plant in August this year. The application included a description of the project’s characteristics, including its maximum installed capacity, planned operating life and details of the APR1400 technology to be used in the plant’s construction. According to the application, the two units would generate 22 TWh of electricity annually, equivalent to approximately 12% of Poland’s current consumption.

PGE PAK Energia Jądrowa is a joint venture established in April by the Polish companies ZE PAK and Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) to carry out the nuclear power plant project.

Poland’s cooperation with KHNP and Westinghouse

The ministry has now issued an in-principle decision, formally confirming that the company’s investment project is in the public interest and consistent with state policy, including energy policy.

The decision is the first major step in the administrative permitting process for investments in nuclear energy facilities in Poland that an investor can apply for. Obtaining it entitles ZE PAK and PGE to submit further administrative applications, such as for a siting decision for the nuclear facility or a construction permit.

On 31 October last year, Poland’s Ministry of State Assets, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, ZE PAK, PGE and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed a joint declaration of intent to develop plans for a nuclear power plant at the Pątnów site.

In November 2022, the Polish government announced that the country’s first nuclear power plant, with an installed capacity of 3750 MWe, would be built in Pomerania. The project will use Westinghouse’s AP1000 technology. In May, Westinghouse, Bechtel and PEJ signed a cooperation agreement to deliver the power plant. An approval decision for the project was issued in July, and the project received a zoning decision in October 2023.

KHNP’s APR1400 technology is viewed favourably for its modern safety architecture and enhanced resilience, while Westinghouse’s AP1000 technology offers passive safety systems that can respond effectively to emergencies without external power sources or human intervention.

“The project that PGE PAK Energia Jądrowa intends to carry out together with its Korean partner at the Pątnów site fits perfectly with the government’s energy plans,” said Jacek Sasin, Minister of State Assets.

The rapid development of new nuclear projects in Poland comes amid speculation over who will form the next government following last month’s Sejm elections. For now, current opposition leader Donald Tusk appears to have the strongest chance of forming a coalition with enough seats to govern.

Potential political changes under Tusk could lead to a review or revision of energy policy, including a reassessment of nuclear projects with a focus on different energy priorities or sustainability.