Anna Moskwa announced the move in an interview with Polish state news agency PAP on Friday.
Poland’s General Directorate for Environmental Protection (GDOS) has concluded that the building and operation of the plant will not adversely affect the environment, and its impact will be monitored, according to PAP.
The climate and environment minister said: “This is a milestone in the implementation of an investment that is crucial from the point of view of energy security.”
On Thursday, America’s largest engineering company Bechtel signed a formal agreement with Westinghouse Electric Co, earlier chosen by Poland as the supplier of technology, to team up in the design and construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant, the Reuters news agency reported.
The US consortium expects to sign an engineering services contract with Polish utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (Polish Nuclear Stations, PEJ) next week, the PAP news agency reported.
Poland’s first nuclear power plant to be ready by 2033
In May, the Polish government and PEJ signed a “milestone” agreement with Westinghouse and Bechtel on the design and construction of Poland’s first planned nuclear power plant.
Poland’s first nuclear station is set to be built in the northern villages of Lubiatowo and Kopalino on the Baltic coast, using Westinghouse's AP1000 reactor technology, officials said.
Construction is set to start in 2026, with the first of three reactors slated to be ready in 2033, according to the Polish government.
In April, Poland’s state-run energy giant PGE and the biggest private energy firm ZE PAK created a joint-venture company that will team up with South Korea’s KHNP to build a nuclear plant in western Poland.
In all, Poland’s nuclear energy policy foresees the creation of six nuclear reactors with a combined installed capacity of 6-9 GW, the PAP news agency reported.
Meanwhile in July, the Polish government approved a plan by state mining company KGHM to build a nuclear power plant based on small modular reactor (SMR) technology.
(pm)
Source: PAP, Reuters
