Poland updates nuclear strategy with delayed plant timelines

Poland has updated its national nuclear power programme, acknowledging delays in the timeline for its first nuclear energy projects. Under the revised strategy, the country’s first nuclear plant is now expected to go online in 2036, three years later than previously planned, while the second plant is scheduled for 2040.

The updated plan involves developing two nuclear power plants with a combined capacity of approximately 6 GW to 9 GW using Generation III+ reactors. The first plant, with a capacity of about 3.75 GW, is being developed in the Choczewo municipality on the Baltic coast through a partnership between Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) and an American consortium comprising Westinghouse and Bechtel.

The Polish Ministry of Energy stated that the update accounts for recent shifts in the European energy market, including the energy crisis and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Despite the delays, the government maintains that nuclear power will be a central component of a diversified energy mix, aiming to provide 15-16% of the nation’s electricity generation by 2040. The project is set to receive approximately 60.2 billion zloty (€13.8 billion) in public support between 2025 and 2030.