ANS - American Nuclear Society
12/20/2022 | News release | Distributed by Public on 12/20/2022 12:03
Westinghouse inks new pact for Poland’s first reactor project
From left: David Durham, president of energy systems at Westinghouse, and Tomasz Stępień, president of Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe's management board, at the signing ceremony in Poland. (Photo: Westinghouse)
Westinghouse Electric Company and Polish utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe have signed an agreement defining the main principles and path forward for Poland's first nuclear power reactors, the companies jointly announced last week.
The agreement, signed December 15, outlines next steps for the project, including site layout, licensing and permitting support, and site development services and procurement, and establishes the framework for future project delivery contracts. Another agreement is expected to be signed by mid-2023 for the design of the facility.
Context: In October, Poland chose Westinghouse to supply the reactors for its first nuclear power plant, as the Central European nation seeks to lessen its dependence on domestic coal and Russian imports for its energy supply. Competing with Westinghouse for the job were Électricité de France and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.
A location in northern Poland near the Baltic coast, Lubiatowo-Kopalino, was selected last December as the preferred site for the AP1000 reactors. Lubiatowo-Kopalino is approximately 40 miles northwest of Gdansk, the capital of Poland's Pomeranian province.
Signers' language: "Westinghouse is proud to continue this journey with our Polish partners to deliver clean, safe, and secure nuclear power for the people of Poland," said David Durham, energy systems president for Westinghouse. "This framework agreement sets us up for success as we look ahead to commercial operation of Poland's first AP1000 reactors."
Tomasz Stępień, president of Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, noted, "Less than a year ago, we indicated the preferred location of the first nuclear power plant, and today, after months of hard work, we can say that we have achieved another of the goals we set for 2022. The signed contract allows us to move on to more and more detailed work and commercial arrangements with the American side. It is also the first step towards starting designing the construction of a nuclear power plant in Pomerania."