With 3,600MW of production capacity, the Westinghouse AP1000 is claimed to be the safe and reliable nuclear power plant and represents 100 years of strategic partnership between the US and Poland
Poland selects US-based Westinghouse. (Credit: Frédéric Paulussen on Unsplash)
The Polish government has selected the US-based manufacturing company Westinghouse Electric company to procure three AP1000 nuclear power reactors for power plants in Poland.
According to the US Embassy in Poland, the selection of Westinghouse indicates a deep strategic and economic relationship between the US and Poland.
The Westinghouse AP1000 is claimed to be the safe and reliable nuclear power plant, which can produce 3,600MW of electricity, addressing 15% of Poland’s total consumption.
The project represents 100 years of new strategic partnership between the US and Poland, including the construction, operating life, and future decommissioning of the plants.
Construction of nuclear power plants will create 20,000 jobs in Poland and is expected to eliminate 26 million tonnes of carbon emissions per annum, once it is fully operational.
The embassy stated: “Today’s decision is the culmination of a years-long effort between the United States and Polish governments to develop innovative joint financing and technical solutions to address Polish clean energy needs.
“This first-of-its-kind effort included a pioneering public-private partnership between the US government, Westinghouse, and Bechtel, through which $10 million in key technical studies were jointly financed by the US parties.”
In September this year, the US and Poland entered civil nuclear cooperation.
The US Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski joined Westinghouse Poland president Miroslaw Kowalik and Bechtel nuclear power general manager Ahmet Tokpinar.
They delivered the concept and execution report for Civil Nuclear Cooperation to Poland’s Minister of Climate and Environment Anna Moskwa.
The report comprises a bilateral roadmap for the construction of six large nuclear reactors using US technology, under a framework for strategic cooperation.
In relation to the current announcement, Westinghouse and Poland’s local project company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) would negotiate a commercial arrangement for the construction.
The US government would promote Bechtel as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.