Poland wants to become a power in the production of nuclear energy and thus reduce its dependence on coal, the highest among the countries of the European Union. To do this, it does not turn to its neighbor and partner of the EU with the most advanced atomic technology, namely France, but to the United States and North Korea. In fact, in a few days Warsaw signed agreements with the Americans Westinghouse and Seoul for the construction of two power plants. The plan calls for a total of 8 reactors to cover a third of its electricity needs by 2040.
Last agreement signed with South Korea for the construction of 4 reactors near the city of Konin, in the center of the country. “Nuclear energy is safe, clean and environmentally friendly,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a Facebook post. Poland is dependent on coal for around 70% of its electricity production, but EU sanctions against Russia have jeopardized supplies of lignite.
The other agreement signed by Warsaw concerns the construction of a power plant in the north of the country. The work will be entrusted to the American Westinghouse, which has beaten the competition of the French Edf. According to rumors circulating so far, the one produced in the United States will be the first Polish nuclear power plant to enter service. Full commissioning is scheduled for 2033. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm praised the Warsaw decision, calling it “a great step in strengthening our relations with Poland for future generations”. “This announcement also sends a clear message to Russia that we will no longer allow them to arm energy,” Granholm said in a tweet. “The West will unite against this unprovoked aggression, also diversifying energy supply chains and strengthening climate cooperation,” she added.
