Tuesday 30 April 2013

Poland working on strategies for first nuclear plant

Poland has made “significant progress” in its programme for introducing nuclear power and is developing strategies for procuring the first plant.

Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reviewed the country’s nuclear infrastructure development and noted good practices and made recommendations for further actions.

In a preliminary report, the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team said Poland’s nuclear regulator has a “clear commitment to safety, high level of transparency and good recognition of challenges ahead” in its efforts towards developing nuclear power.

Three potential sites are under consideration for the planned nuclear power plant: Choczewo, Gaski and Zarnowiec. PGE, the chosen operator and owner, plans to install around 3,000MWe of nuclear capacity, with its first unit expected to be online by 2025.

Robert Lewis, Team Leader and a Senior Executive in the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said: "Poland’s regulatory framework and the work of PAA (Poland's National Atomic Agency) give high confidence of strong radiation protection for the Polish people. Further, there has been significant progress in the development of Poland's regulatory framework in preparation for the challenge of regulating nuclear power.”

Poland is currently highly dependent on coal, which provides around 90% of the country’s energy.