Poland, along with Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia, has adopted a declaration supporting the expansion of nuclear energy in a bid to strengthen the region’s “energy security.”
The declaration was adopted on Tuesday in Stockholm during a nuclear energy conference attended by the countries’ energy ministers.
“We, ministers and high-level representatives from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland and Sweden, recognize the urgent need for decisive action to strengthen our energy security and competitiveness while addressing climate change,” a joint statement issued by the ministers read.
“We also recognize the potential of new nuclear energy investments to contribute to our energy objectives and challenges,” it added.
The ministers emphasized that each project would require close cooperation, including sharing knowledge, resources and technological expertise among neighboring states, adding: “No single country in our region possesses the full domestic capacity to construct a nuclear power plant independently.”
Poland eyes nuclear future
In recent years, Warsaw has intensified its push for nuclear energy to strengthen the country’s energy security, reduce reliance on foreign imports and support a transition away from fossil fuels.
Poland’s Nuclear Energy Program (PPEJ), unveiled in 2020, foresees the construction of two nuclear power plants with a combined capacity of 6–9 GW.
The first facility is planned for Lubiatowo-Kopalino in Poland’s northern Pomerania region along the Baltic coast. It will be built by the U.S.-based Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium and will comprise three Westinghouse AP1000 units.
The first unit is expected to begin operation in 2036, with the entire plant reaching full capacity by 2038.
Meanwhile in Sweden, nuclear power currently accounts for about 30% of electricity production. The Swedish government plans to have the equivalent of two new large reactors operating by 2035 and ten by 2045, including both traditional and small modular reactors.
Also on Tuesday, Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, announced that Bratislava has approved a multi-billion euro deal with the United States to construct an additional reactor at one of its two existing atomic power stations.
