The first nuclear power plant in Poland begins a new stage of work. “We want to hurry sensibly”
According to the original plans, the construction project will cost PLN 192 billion and this will be a historical record. Thanks to it, the first large nuclear units in Poland with a total capacity of approximately 3,750 MW gross will be built. This is equivalent to almost half of the current capacity of lignite-fired power plants (7.6 GW).
The new reactor is to operate with an efficiency of approximately 33%. (efficiency is limited by vapor temperature). For comparison, the efficiency of the Bełchatów Power Plant units is approximately 40%. Depending on the final construction costs, which may increase up to PLN 400 billion in the pessimistic variant, the price of nuclear electricity will range from PLN 470 to PLN 680 per MWh at the current price on TGE for the entire next year PLN 459.
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“Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) signed an annex with the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium enabling implementation of the next stage of work on the project of the first Polish nuclear power plantas part of the so-called EDA bridge agreement (Engineering Development Agreement – EDA). The annexed scope of the contract includes: continuation of design and field work, including in-depth geological research” – it was written.
“We want to hurry sensibly”
— At the same time, the main contract for the construction of the facility, i.e. EPC, is currently being negotiated by us and it is this contract that will ultimately determine our cooperation with the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium. In the ongoing negotiations we want to hurry sensibly, therefore, the annex concluded today allows us to continue talks regarding EPC, focusing on quality and without a negative impact on the project – said Marek Woszczyk, president of PEJ, quoted in the release.
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He added that, to ensure timeliness, some of the works that were originally supposed to be included in the EPC contract were also included in the annex to the EDA contract.
“The extension of the EDA bridge agreement allows for further advancement of design and engineering work, including the finalization of documentation enabling the ordering of Long Lead Items and documentation for a license application in order to maintain the assumed project schedule. These efforts are key to meeting the milestones of this strategic investment for Poland,” said Mirosław Kowalik, president of Westinghouse Polska, quoted in the PEJ information.
He added that Bechtel currently employs approximately 300 specialists, including nearly 100 people employed in the Polish company.
The president of Bechtel Polska, Leszek Hołda, emphasized that the signing of the EDA+ annex enables the continuation of engineering and preparatory works until the conclusion of the EPC contract.
Recently, the president of PEJ informed journalists that the completion of negotiations and the signing of the EPC contract with the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium is expected in mid-2026.
