With the substantial decrease in the supply of Russian oil and gas for power generation throughout Europe, a number of countries have made an effort to bring renewable power sources into play.
While solar facilities and wind farms make up the bulk of options, several nations who have used nuclear power in the past or who recently opted to discontinue the use of nuclear facilities are seriously thinking of reviving these dormant assets to ensure energy security in their respective jurisdictions.
Poland is one of these nations. Its government recently announced its plans to gradually phase out the use of coal in generating electricity, as well as to build new nuclear power plants in a bid to further reduce its carbon emissions.
However, Poland’s plans come with a hefty price tag and relevant government agencies in Warsaw are on the lookout for technical partners to shoulder around 49% of the project cost by way of equity financing. These partners are expected to help the country build facilities generating between six and nine gigawatts of nuclear capacity.
Who’s in the Game?
The United States is one of the countries that is extending its assistance to Poland’s drive towards energy self-reliance. As of Monday, September 12th, the Polish climate ministry announced that they received an offer from the US to collaborate on the construction of new nuclear power facilities.
Just last week, Polish climate minister Anna Moskwa formally met with Ambassador Mark Brzezinski and a representative from the Westinghouse Electric Company to discuss the details of the proposal.
The US proposal is based on a report produced as part of the nuclear power agreement inked by the two countries back in 2020. According to a ministry statement, the said report is a bilateral roadmap concerning the construction of six large-scale nuclear reactors with the use of US technology.
Those privy to the discussion have been quick to add that the US proposal is not just a commercial offer. Rather, it is a reflection of nearly two years of research and millions of dollars spent on analyses and evaluation.
But the US isn’t the only nation that’s offering its services to Poland. State-owned South Korean firm Korea Hydro Nuclear Power submitted its own proposal to the Polish government in April of this year. Likewise, the relevant government agencies are also in talks with several French power corporations.
