Poland Advances First Nuclear Power Project

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) -- The work to find the best site for Poland's first nuclear power plant (NPP) has gotten underway as the country begins the process of moving away from its almost total reliance on coal-fired power plants for electricity.

State owned Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA (PGE) (Warsaw, Poland), through its PGE EJ1 subsidiary, has awarded the site characterisation, licensing and permitting services contract for the plant to a WorleyParsons consortium, comprising WorleyParsons Nuclear Services JSC, WorleyParsons International Inc., WorleyParsons Group Inc. The contract is valued at €61.2 million ($81.5 million) and will run for more than two years.

"The selection of the site characterisation contractor is another step forward in the project, which I am sure will further contribute to the credibility of the Polish nuclear program," explained Aleksander Grad, President of PGE EJ 1. "The decision is critical to further stages of the project. The characterisation activities carried out by the selected contractor will inform one of the most significant decisions - the selection of the final site for Poland's first NPP."

Poland relies on coal-fired plants for more than 90% of its electricity and is heavily reliant on Russia for oil and gas imports. In addition to this, the country is under increasing pressure from the European Union (E.U.) to clean up its energy mix and reduce its CO2 emissions.

PGE plans to build a nuclear portfolio with an estimated capacity of around 3,000-megawatts (MW), with the first unit due for commissioning in 2023. The work carried out by WorleyParsons will cover a variety of elements, from geological conditions and natural environment to current land development and questions of logistics and available infrastructure.

In December 2011, PGE announced three possible sites for the first NPP at Choczewo, Gaski and Zarnowiec. All three sites will undergo simultaneous surveys and site characterisation work. For additional information see December 6, 2011, article - PGE Shortlists Three Sites for Poland's First Nuclear Power Plant.

Last month, Poland took its first significant step towards cleaning up its energy mix when the government awarded 14 licences for offshore windfarms in the Baltic Sea. For additional information, see December 6, 2012, article - Poland Awards Offshore Wind Licences.

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