WARSAW, Poland — Poland has handpicked the US government and Westinghouse to build the central European country’s first nuclear power plant, part of an effort to burn less coal and gain greater energy independence.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Twitter late Friday that Poland would use Westinghouse Electric Company’s “reliable, safe technology” for the plant in the Pomeranian province near the Baltic Sea coast. The exact location has yet to be determined.
A strong alliance between Poland and the US “guarantees the success of our joint initiatives,” Morawiecki said.
Poland plans to spend $40 billion to build two nuclear power plants, each with three reactors, the last of which is expected to be operational in 2043. The deal with the US and Westinghouse concerns the first three reactors of the Pomeranian power plant, which officials say is expected to start generating electricity in 2033.
Poland has been planning for decades to build a nuclear power plant to replace its aging coal-fired power plants in a country with some of the worst air pollution in Europe. The construction of a nuclear power plant using Soviet technology began in the early 1980s when Poland was in the Eastern Bloc.
Protests from local residents and environmentalists, the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, and budget constraints led to the project being shelved.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year and its use of energy to exert economic and political pressure on European nations have made Poland’s search for alternative energy sources even more urgent.
Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller said on Saturday that the government would take a decision at its meeting on Wednesday that would launch environmental permitting and investment procedures.
Mueller said the nuclear power plant in northern Poland would require upgrading infrastructure in the area, including roads.
US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the project will create or preserve more than 100,000 jobs for American workers.
“This is a HUGE step in strengthening our relationship with Poland to ensure energy security for future generations,” said Granholm.
“This announcement also sends a clear message to Russia: we will no longer allow them to weaponize energy,” Granholm said. “The West will stand together against this unprovoked aggression while diversifying energy supply chains and strengthening cooperation on climate protection.”
Poland had also considered offers from France and South Korea. Polish State Treasury Minister Jacek Sasin suggested South Korea could still play a role in the project, and further talks are planned in Seoul next week.
Westinghouse has sued in federal court to block a potential deal for competitor Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power to sell reactors to Poland.
The United States is one of the most important allies of NATO member Poland. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, the US increased its military presence in the country, establishing a permanent presence for the first time and using Poland as a hub for arms shipments to Ukraine.