President Andrzej Duda assessed that without the construction of nuclear power plants, Poland will not be able to meet EU climate requirements. – We cannot continue to be a blank spot on the European map of civilian nuclear power; nuclear power plants are of absolutely fundamental importance to us – he emphasized.
President Andrzej Duda On Thursday he will take part in the Krynica Forum 2024 conference, where he delivered the keynote address.
The president on the nuclear power plant
Speaking about the directions of economic development of our country, Duda indicated that a significant civilizational leap will be provided by the construction of nuclear power plants. – This is a relatively safe, stable and cheap source of energy, as well as environmentally friendly – he said. The president added that the efficiency and profitability of most renewable energy sources is still not, “to put it mildly”, “impressive”, and at our latitude we cannot count on constant, optimal sunlight or constant, optimal wind power. Therefore – “taking into account the climate requirements” – the construction of nuclear power plants is of “absolutely crucial and fundamental” importance, translating into energy sovereignty. – Without this, we will not be able to provide ourselves with electricity and at the same time meet the climate policy requirements that are imposed European Union (…) Poland cannot continue to be a blank spot on the European map of civilian nuclear power – Duda stressed.
Nuclear energy in the EUPAP/Mateusz Krymski
Construction of two power plants
The current version of the Polish Nuclear Power Program (PPEJ) from 2020 assumes the construction of two nuclear power plants with a total capacity of 6-9 GW, with the Polish Nuclear Power Plants, a 100% state-owned company, as the investor and operator. The previous government indicated the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium as the partner for the first power plant. It is to be built at Lubiatowo-Kopalino in Pomerania. The Ministry of Climate has announced an update of the PPEJ this year. According to the latest declarations of the Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, the so-called first nuclear concrete for the first reactor is to be poured in 2028, and the government has declarations from the contractor that from that moment on it needs seven years to complete the construction process.
Main image source: PAP/Łukasz Gągulski