U.S. and Poland Sign Agreement for First AP-1000 Nuclear Power Plant

U.S. companies Bechtel and Westinghouse and Polish company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) on April 28 signed the Engineering Development Agreement (EDA) for Poland’s first AP-1000 nuclear power plant. The agreement follows on from an initial agreement and is a component of a bigger nuclear energy security agreement to construct large-scale civil nuclear reactors in Poland. This proposal initially began during the first Donald Trump Administration and could eventually lead to a total of six AP-1000s across two sites. The U.S. and Poland had signed a Nuclear Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding in June 2019, signaling both nations long-term objective to enhance Poland’s civil nuclear program and jointly pursue the peaceful utilization of nuclear energy.

The department led U.S. consultations with Poland on civil nuclear energy collaboration under the guidelines of an Intergovernmental Agreement which began during February 2021, and co-chaired a bilateral Steering Committee created to develop the project. This first phase of the project aims to build three units at a site in northeastern Poland at some point during 2026.

Nuclear energy is a vital energy source for Poland to lower carbon dioxide emissions; since Poland is dependent on lignite resources and on external sources of energy for electricity production. Poland has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and the signing of the agreement will help Poland reach their goal. The deployment of safe, clean and reliable nuclear power is a critical tool for Poland to meet these climate targets.

This agreement is also an important step for the U.S.-Poland strategic partnership and highlights the commitment of the U.S.  to work with Poland and other nations across Europe to enhance global energy security. The collaboration between the U.S. and Poland will support U.S.  leadership in Europe and reinforce the U.S.’s position as a reliable and secure provider of civil nuclear energy.