The symbolic kick-off ceremony for site geological surveys for Poland’s first NPP project at US-based Bechtel’s new office in Warsaw was attended by Polish and US officials as well as regulatory bodies, scientific institutions, and local authorities.
Among those attending the ceremony were Maciej Bando, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, Miłosz Motyka, Deputy Minister of Climate & Environment, and Beata Rutkiewicz, Pomeranian Voivode. The guest of honour was US Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski.
Bechtel is overseeing the design and construction of Poland’s first NPP alongside Westinghouse Electric Company. In November 2022 the Polish government selected the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction of the plant at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality. In May 2023, an agreement was signed defining a plan for delivery of the plant by Westinghouse, Bechtel and Polish utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ). Poland’s Ministry of Climate & Environment in July 2023 issued a decision-in-principle for PEJ to construct the plant. Financing for the project has yet to be arranged.
“We are pleased to begin the next stage of preparations for the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant,” said John Howanitz, President of Bechtel’s Nuclear, Security & Environmental business unit. “This is a strategic investment for the country and must be carried out to the highest standards. We fully support Poland’s aspirations for decarbonization and energy independence, and we are establishing cooperation with local suppliers in pursuit of those objectives.”
Bechtel will conduct in-depth geological surveys at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Pomeranian municipality of Choczewo. These are part of an engineering service contract signed in September 2023. Earlier in August, Bechtel awarded the contract for the geological work to PSD Poland, located in Słupsk. The surveys will be conducted from May to November, covering an area of approximately 30 hectares.
Findings will support earthworks design for the plant, including the three nuclear power units, the inflow basin, and the cooling water channels. This investigation will also inform the Location Report which will help PEJ, obtain a construction permit from the Polish nuclear regulator, the National Atomic Energy Agency.
“Today we are celebrating a major milestone in the US Polish special friendship – the inauguration of field activities on the nuclear power plant construction site in Lubiatowo-Kopalino and the opening of Bechtel’s office in Warsaw,” said Brzezinski. “It’s another important step forward as Poland and the United States work together to create a civil nuclear industry in Poland, and it shows that the United States is delivering on our shared commitment to Poland’s energy security and supporting Poland’s energy transition. The selection of Westinghouse and Bechtel – two gold standard American companies – to advance Poland’s civil nuclear power programme brings energy security to the core of Polish-American cooperation.”
Bechtel is in the processes of engaging Polish entrepreneurs in the supply chain of the nuclear power plant project. The company has already signed contracts with several Polish subcontractors including: Energoprojekt-Katowice, Prochem and Summa Linguae Technologies.
Poland plans to allocate PLN4.6bn ($1.2bn) in its 2025 budget to start preparations for the NPP. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański announced that this investment is part of a broader strategy to reduce energy costs, which are 40-50% higher in Poland compared with Germany, France, and Spain. The total project cost is estimated at PLN 60bn for 2025-2030, with further funding expected from the US for technology.
