Poland nears key contract for construction of first nuclear power plant

Poland has made progress in negotiations with the American consortium Westinghouse-Bechtel regarding the main contract for the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant. The parties have managed to agree on a number of key provisions of the future agreement, but negotiations are not yet complete.

This was reported by Business Insider Polska, citing its own sources.

One of the important results of the negotiations was the agreement of the American side that Polish law would be the basis of the future contract. Earlier, the issue of jurisdiction was one of the points that the parties had to settle during the work on the agreement.

This concerns the EPC contract - Engineering, Procurement and Construction. This is the main agreement that will define the terms for design, procurement of equipment, and construction of the nuclear power plant by the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium.

At the same time, Business Insider Polska sources caution that it is still too early to talk about a final conclusion of the negotiations. Some issues still need to be agreed upon before the document is signed.

Polish officials previously reported that EPC negotiations are already at an advanced stage. In July, a representative of the Polish Ministry of Energy stated in the Senate that the state-owned company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, with the support of the Attorney General's Office, is negotiating with the American consortium and expects to conclude them by the end of 2026.

Until the main contract is concluded, the Polish investor and Westinghouse-Bechtel are working under the so-called EDA agreement, which includes further design, documentation preparation, and other work necessary for the transition to full-scale construction.

The project itself has already moved to active site preparation. In August, Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe handed over management of the site of the future plant in Lubiatowo-Kopalino in Pomerania to Bechtel. Earthworks have begun there, with Polish company Budimex as the general contractor.

The first Polish nuclear power plant will consist of three American AP1000 reactors with a total capacity of about 3.75 GW. The project investor is the state-owned company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, Westinghouse supplies the technology, and Bechtel is responsible for the construction part of the project.

In March 2026, the company already submitted an application for a nuclear facility construction permit to Poland's State Atomic Energy Agency. At the same time, construction of transport and other infrastructure needed for the future plant is underway.

According to the current government schedule, the pouring of the first "nuclear concrete", which will mark the start of the main construction phase, is planned for 2028. The first unit is to begin commercial operation in 2036, the second in 2037, and the third in 2038.

The Polish state has allocated 60.2 billion zlotys for recapitalization of the project. The future nuclear power plant is the central element of Poland's strategy to reduce dependence on coal-fired generation and provide the country with a stable source of electricity.

Sources: Business Insider Polska, Ministry of Energy of Poland, Senate of Poland