The meeting on September 8 was attended by representatives of the most important state institutions, including the Ministry of State Asset, the General Prosecutor's Office, the Board of Polish Nuclear Power Plant and Industrial Development Agencies. Marshal Senior Marek Sawicki was also present. The purpose of the workshop was to develop solutions that will allow Poland to effectively negotiate the conditions of investment worth around PLN 200 billion.
The Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs entrusted the preparation of workshops by two reputable offices: Fieldfisher Stroiński Szelenbaum & Partners and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Fieldfisher, represented by Piotr Szelenbaum, Marek Doletowski, Andrzej Zając and Michał Koconi, specializes in energy consulting, including both conventional energy and renewable energy sources and EU regulations. In turn, Pillsbury, with Vincent Zabielski, has experience in the implementation of over 50 nuclear projects in over 30 countries, including key investments such as Barakah in the United Arab Emirates or Kozłóduj in Bulgaria.
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The importance of local content in the Polish nuclear project
The workshops emphasized the weight of the so -called Local Content, i.e. the participation of domestic entities in the implementation of the investment. Piotr Szelenbaum from Fieldfisher pointed out that Local Content mechanisms can determine whether Polish industry will become an integral part of the project or would be marginalized. He also pointed out that the experiences of other countries show how important it is to precisely determine the participation of Polish companies and technology transfer so as not to repeat the errors that took place, among others in Taiwan.
Vincent C. Zabielski from Pillsbury emphasized during the workshop that negotiations with a nuclear consortium require a long -term approach. He noted that Poland should take care of the development of its own nuclear industry, taking into account both the good of citizens and environmental protection. – Negotiations with a nuclear consortium are a marathon, not a sprint. (…) It is obvious that these goals must be achieved in strict compliance with EU law, and Poland is preparing plans to make it happen – he commented.
EPC contract as a key to the development of Polish energy
One of the most important conclusions from the workshops is the need to construct an EPC contract for the implementation of blocks in Westinghouse technology to bring real benefits to Poland. Experts emphasized that the contract should support the development of national industry, provide a transfer of knowledge and technology and protect the environment, while maintaining compliance with EU regulations.
Involvement of Polish and foreign experts
The presence of representatives of leading law firms and state institutions confirms that Poland has been using the experience of both national and international specialists who have been participating in the largest energy investments in the world for years. The workshops were an important stage of preparation for conversations, which will decide not only about the shape of the first Polish nuclear power plant, but also about the future of the national industry and its position as a full partner in the largest investment in the history of Poland.
