Mateusz Morawiecki made the announcement on social media late on Friday, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
The prime minister said in a Twitter post: “A strong Polish-American alliance guarantees the success of our joint initiatives. After talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris and US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, we confirm [that] our nuclear energy project will use the reliable, safe technology of Westinghouse Electric Company.”
Kamala Harris said in a tweet: "In my conversations with PM Morawiecki of Poland, in Warsaw and on the phone, I made clear that U.S. partnership on this project is advantageous for us all: we can address the climate crisis, strengthen European energy security, and deepen the U.S.-Poland strategic relationship."
The US ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, tweeted: “Fantastic news from Prime Minister Morawiecki: as a result of his engagement with Vice President Harris, Poland has selected the U.S. government and Westinghouse as its nuclear energy partner and will formally complete the process next week!”
Brzezinski added: “Thank you Prime Minister Morawiecki and Secretary Granholm for your hard work on this project. Together we will strengthen our bilateral relationship and Poland's energy security for generations to come!”
Meanwhile, Polish government spokesman Piotr Müller said that "the acceptance of the American offer" marked “a very important moment.”
Müller told the PAP news agency: “Nuclear energy will be an important part of Poland’s energy security.”
He added that the Polish government would "adopt a relevant resolution" on Wednesday, November 2, according to PAP.
Asked about Poland’s talks with other countries to work together on nuclear energy, Müller told reporters: “The Americans will build our first nuclear power plant. We are also discussing possible projects with our remaining partner countries.”
Talks in Washington
Last Sunday, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin and Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa held talks in Washington with US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, according to news reports.
Sasin told a media briefing afterwards: "We are very close to choosing a foreign partner for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Poland as part of a government programme."
He added that there was a "very good chance" that US company Westinghouse would supply the technology for the first three nuclear reactors in Poland.
In mid-September, the US government and the Westinghouse nuclear power company offered to build six large-scale reactors based on American technology in Poland, according to reports at the time, in addition to proposing cooperation on civil nuclear energy.
Poland has also received offers for the construction of nuclear power plants from France’s EDF and South Korea’s KHNP, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Poland's Moskwa said last Friday that the Polish government would choose a contractor for the country’s first nuclear power plant by the end of this year.
She told private broadcaster Polsat News at the time that 2026 remained "a realistic date for launching the construction of the first nuclear reactor” in Poland.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, wnp.pl