Go-ahead for preliminary works at Polish plant site

The permit, issued by Beata Rutkiewicz, covers: surveying works; development of the construction site, including the construction of temporary technical and other facilities; removal of trees; construction of a temporary fence; and levelling the terrain.

Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) said the works - which will cover an area of about 330 hectares - will begin in the coming months.

Preparatory works will begin with the staking out of the area, where site facilities will be prepared, the company said. In parallel, checking the area for possible archaeological sites and unexploded ordnance will continue, "so that the work will be carried out in a safe manner for personnel and bystanders". Then, in late October/early November, tree and shrub removal will begin. According to the plan, tree clearing will be completed by spring 2026.

PEJ noted that, over the past year and a half, it has conducted an extensive environmental and survey campaign that precedes the start of preparatory works. The site of the future power plant was surveyed once again to determine the conditions before the start of works and to effectively relocate protected plant and animal species. These activities, it said, fulfilled the obligation under the environmental decision issued by the General Director for Environmental Protection.

"The beginning of preparatory works is an important landmark in our project, which is why obtaining this permit is so important to us," said Marek Woszczyk, President of the Management Board of PEJ. "In accordance with the established schedule, we are consistently moving towards starting the key stage of the investment project, which is the construction of the power plant. Timely delivery of such a complex project would not have been possible without efficient and professional cooperation with government administration, in this case with the Head of the Pomorskie Voivodship and representatives of the Pomorskie Voivodship Office."

In November 2022, the Polish government selected Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. In September 2023, Westinghouse, PEJ - a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by Poland's State Treasury - signed an 18-month Engineering Services Contract under which Westinghouse and Bechtel will finalise a site-specific design for a plant featuring three AP1000 reactors. The aim is for Poland's first AP1000 reactor to enter commercial operation in 2033. The total investment costs of the project are estimated to be about PLN192 billion (USD49 billion).