WARSAW, POLAND (AP) – A project to develop small nuclear power reactors in Poland is moving forward, with Polish energy company Orlen and two United States (US) government financial institutions signing an agreement on Monday.
Poland is turning toward energy that is renewable or does not use climate-changing fossil fuels as it tries to break its reliance on coal. the invasion of Ukraine also has accelerated Poland’s drive to cut its dependence on Russian oil and natural gas.
In a ceremony at the US ambassador’s residence in Warsaw, the US Export-Import Bank and US International Development Finance Corporation signed letters of interest to lend up to USD3 billion and up to USD1 billion, respectively, to the Orlen Synthos Green Energy project.
It’s aims is to develop around 20 small BWRX-300 modular reactors designed by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
US Ambassador Mark Brzezinski stressed that the aggression against Ukraine almost 14 months ago reinforced the need to turn toward safe and reliable energy sources.
Later, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the country needed a “cheap, clean and reliable energy source” like the small nuclear reactors that will produce emission-free energy and be a driving force for the economy for decades to come.
Coal mining is among Poland’s largest employers, providing around 80,000 jobs and supplying about 70 per cent of the country’s energy, and Morawiecki said the industry will continue to guarantee power security. He stressed, however, that global climate concerns and European Union regulations are calling for a shift to renewable and clean energy, which the nuclear reactors plan is helping advance.
Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek told The Associated Press that only nuclear power can guarantee energy security and keep the lights on when the wind isn’t blowing or sun isn’t shining. He said the support of the US financial institutions “shows the credibility of the process” of developing nuclear energy.
It comes after Germany shut down its last three nuclear power plants this past weekend as it transitions to renewable energy like wind and solar.
Poland’s first BWRX-300 reactor should launch in 2029 and will be the world’s second, after a similar one opens in Darlington, Canada.
