Nuclear energy in Poland

Poland has no nuclear power plants. In the 1980s, the Zarnowiec Nuclear Power Plant was under construction, but was abandoned on 4 September 1990. To this day, nuclear energy is a controversial topic in Poland.

Around 95% of the nation's electricity is currently produced by burning coal (of which Poland has the EU's largest reserves) but with the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, in 2006 the nuclear option was reviewed.[1] A 2006 feasibility study suggested it optimal to build an 11.5 GWe capacity nuclear power plant. However, this proving unaffordable in the immediate future, Poland decided to build a 4.5 GWe nuclear power plant by 2030. In 2007, a draft energy policy proposed a 10 GWe nuclear capacity by 2030 to provide 10% of electricity.[1] The deadline gives an estimated ten years for investment and construction and five years of public campaigning.[2]

In July 2006, Poland joined Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia to build a new nuclear power plant in Lithuania to replace the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant being shut down due to pressure from the EU. Poland would invest 22% with these other countries into the project, which would have been operational by 2015. The total costs of the project was to be EUR 6 billion. Poland was guaranteed to have 1,200 MWe from the power plant and has upgraded transmission capacity between Lithuania and Poland.[1] After the nuclear project was abandoned, Lithuania instead became an importer of electricity from Poland.

In a public opinion poll, 60% of the population supported construction of a nuclear power plant in Poland to reduce its dependence on foreign sources of energy. Additionally, 48% supported construction of a nuclear power plant in their neighborhood, citing local benefits that include lower energy costs.[1]

The popular Baltic Sea resort Mielno is one of three sites selected, however in February 2012, residents voted overwhelmingly against the plan. Some 94 percent of the 2,389 people who took part in a referendum opposed the plant and only 5 percent supported it.[3]

As of 2018 the Polish government was still considering whether the first nuclear power plant should be built,[4] but following financing difficulties[5] in May 2018 state-owned PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna, who would have carried out any build, decided to invest in offshore wind power first.[6] As of 2020 Poland is planning to start construction of 1.5 GWe nuclear power plant by 2026 and have 6-9 GWe by 2043.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries". World Nuclear Association. April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  2. Stanislaw Latek (Spring 2005). "National Atomic Energy Agency: Nuclear News from Poland". Euronuclear. Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  3. Maciej Onoszko (Feb 13, 2012). "Polish sea resort poll rejects nuclear plant". Reuters.
  4. "Poland to decide later this year on building nuclear plant". Reuters. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  5. "Three out of four shareholders to withdraw from the nuclear power plant project". Poland in English. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  6. "Poland's largest power group opts to back wind over nuclear". Power Engineering International. 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  7. Wilczek, Maria (2020-06-16). "Construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant to begin in 2026". Notes From Poland. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
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