Poland pushes back debut nuclear plant to 2036, second unit to 2040

Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government has revised Poland’s nuclear roadmap, moving the commissioning of the inaugural plant to 2036 and the second facility to 2040, after an audit of the prior PiS-led programme and a review of the US consortium arrangement. The first site at Lubiatowo-Kopalino on the Baltic coast will host three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, with public support of about 60.2 billion zloty approved by the European Commission.

The energy ministry expects Polish companies to contribute roughly 40% of the first reactor’s value, climbing to around 70% for later plants, translating to about 100 billion zloty for domestic suppliers. A permit application of over 40,000 pages has been submitted to the National Atomic Energy Agency, which has up to 24 months to decide. Meanwhile, a consortium led by Michał Sołowow is raising funds for small modular reactors, aiming to install a BWRX-300 unit in Włocławek. Opposition parties criticize the delays, but the government stresses nuclear power will supply 15-16% of Poland’s electricity mix by 2040, reducing reliance on coal.