During the signing ceremony in Warsaw in September, the Polish prime minister at the time, Mateusz Morawiecki, hailed the project as a new chapter for Poland.
"The only clean, stable energy source that is technologically proven and verified in terms of safety is nuclear energy," Morawiecki stated at the time.
The agreement, signed by Westinghouse and Bechtel with Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), the Polish state-owned utility overseeing the nuclear program, paves the way for the construction of the facility at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the northern Pomerania region, near the Baltic Sea.
Media outlets have reported that the area has already been fenced off and is currently facing the removal of trees and shrubbery for geological drilling.
This site, approximately 280 kilometers from the German border, will host the plant, which has drawn mixed reactions from neighboring Germany and environmentalists.
While some environmentalists and the Polish Greens party express concerns about nuclear energy's initial costs and development duration, suggesting a focus on renewable energies instead, the prevailing sentiment in Poland seems favorable.
The urgency to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and the heightened need for energy independence in the European context have softened opposition to nuclear power.
The ambitious project, estimated to cost USD 40 billion, aims to build two nuclear power plants, each with three reactors. The first three reactors of the Pomerania plant, under the US deal, are expected to start generating electricity by 2033, with the final reactor set for completion in 2043.
The move represents a significant shift for Poland, which has historically relied on coal-fired plants, leading to some of Europe's worst air pollution.
In July, Poland also signed agreements with South Korea for a second nuclear power plant, set for launch by 2035.
(jh)
Source: Biznes Alert, PAP, IAR, world nuclear news