Nuclear power plant: A milestone towards energy independence
The government’s adoption of a draft law providing for PLN 60 billion for the construction of the first nuclear power plant is a milestone towards Polish energy independence, government plenipotentiary for strategic energy infrastructure Wojciech Wrochna assessed.
On Tuesday, the government adopted a bill providing for a PLN 60 billion capital injection into the state-owned company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe – the investor and future operator of the first power plant to be built in Pomerania.
– Without the funds provided, the project remains only a plan on paper. The government’s decision to earmark specific money for this purpose shows that Poland is thinking seriously about this project,’ Wrochna stressed, quoted in a communiqué from the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.
As he recalled, in 2024 the government submitted an application to the European Commission for notification of state aid for the construction of the power plant, and on 18 December the EC opened proceedings in this case.
– This allows us to start detailed discussions with the European Commission about the financing model. Without this, the project could not be implemented,’ the plenipotentiary pointed out.
As he stressed, ‘the previous government did nothing in this direction’ and ‘it was only Prime Minister Tusk’s government that submitted a notification application to the European Commission on this issue’.
As he recalled, ‘the model of the integrated procedure, the whole procedure of technology selection and project financing, was ready already in 2015’.
– Unfortunately, during the eight years of the PiS government, a lot was said but not much was actually done. Only the location and environmental studies that were still started by the then management of the company were completed,’ he added.
According to the draft law, the PEJ company will be subsidised from the budget by increasing the share capital by 2030 with the amount of up to PLN 60.2 billion and it is assumed that this is to be 30 per cent of the investment costs. The remaining 70 per cent is to be financed with debt.
The draft stipulates that PEJ will be exempted from profit payments to the state budget, which will reduce its financial burden.
The current 2020 version of the Polish Nuclear Power Programme (PPEJ) envisages the construction of two nuclear power plants with a total capacity of 6-9 GW, with the 100 per cent state-owned company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe as investor and operator. The previous government identified the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium as the partner for the first power plant. It is to be built at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino location in Pomerania.
According to recent declarations by the Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, the pouring of the so-called first nuclear concrete for the first reactor is expected to take place in 2028, and the government has declarations from the contractor that it needs seven years from that point to complete the construction process.
Source: PortalMorski.pl
