Respect Energy focuses on SMR reactors and energy storage. The Polish energy industry is changing
Respect Energy, cooperating with EDF on the NUWARD SMR technology from 2023, intends to develop nuclear projects in Poland. According to Tomasz Zadroga, Chief Investment Officer of the company, the company has identified several plots that meet the location requirements for SMRs. Zadroga noted that Currently, work is underway on the application for a principal decision, which is the first stage of cooperation with EDF. The company wants to act as a developer and recipient of energy from reactors, without excluding interest from large infrastructure funds.
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The company assumes that the first SMR projects will be implemented in the second half of the 2030s. Zadroga emphasized that the energy from these reactors may be attractive for the chemical, metallurgical and cogeneration industries, where the demand for heat is high. Cooperation with customers interested only in electricity is also being considered. In his opinion, NUWARD technology allows for the construction of a reactor within 48 months, which is a significant advantage in the context of schedules for large nuclear power plants..
Respect Energy sees SMRs as a complement to renewable energy sources, which, according to Zadroga, are unable to ensure the stability of the power system on their own.
“There will always be moments when there is no wind or sun. SMRs will provide energy that is more expensive than RES on land, but they will ensure system stabilization,” Zadroga said.
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One of Respect Energy's key projects is the construction of an energy storage facility in Choczew, which is intended to stabilize the Polish power system and support wind farms in the Baltic Sea.. The project, the cost of which exceeds PLN 2 billion, is to be completed in 2027, in parallel with the launch of the offshore sector by Orlen and PGE. “A storage facility with a capacity of 1,000 MW is also an ideal solution from the perspective of offshore farm owners,” Zadroga emphasized.
The company also intends to support local thermal energy companies that still rely mainly on coal. “We want to be a supplier of solutions and electricity that is stable and emission-free, as well as ideas on how to reduce energy prices,” said CIO Respect Energy. Zadroga noted that the heating sector in Poland requires modernization to increase efficiency and reduce costs for consumers.
The company draws attention to the need to improve administrative processes in Poland, which currently block the development of renewable energy sources and energy storage. Zadroga supports the proposal of the Ministry of Energy to revise the rules for connecting producers and consumers to the grid, which would speed up the implementation of the investment. “If we do nothing, we will have expensive energy for the next 50 years“- he warned.
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Respect Energy, which has been operating on the market of balancing services for renewable energy producers for over a decade, sees potential in new system services, such as artificial inertia, which protects the system against blackouts. “Germany announced that from January 2026, operators will pay for this type of service,” Zadroga emphasized.
The company, which is developing dynamically in the area of renewable energy and nuclear technologies, focuses on innovative solutions that will contribute to the energy transformation in Poland. “Energy must be cheap. And it can be cheap from renewable energy sources, warehouses and SMRs” – summed up Tomasz Zadroga.
