Polish state-owned company Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ) has signed an Engineering Development Agreement (EDA), agreed earlier in April, with US Westinghouse and Bechtel for the first NPP to be built in Poland. “Our cooperation has gained momentum,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented following a meeting with the US Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, both of whom attended the signing ceremony.
PEJ, 100% owned by the Polish Treasury, will be the future operator of the first NPP, which will be built in Lubiatowo-Kopalino, Pomerania, using Westinghouse AP1000 technology. According to the current schedule, the foundation stone should be laid in 2028, and the first reactor is expected to be put into operation in 2036.
Westinghouse, Bechtel and PEJ in September 2023 signed an 18-month Engineering Services Contract (ESC) under which Westinghouse and Bechtel will finalise a site-specific design for the NPP comprising three AP1000 reactors. The ESC contract expired at the end of March without a new agreement being concluded. PEJ then agreed the EDA, a ‘bridge agreement’ which established the framework for cooperation between PEJ and the Westinghouse-Bechtel Consortium for the next nine months.
According to a statement from Pej, the bridge agreement signed today specifies provisions to ensure effective cooperation with the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium over the next nine months. The conclusion of the Engineering Development Agreement (EDA) “enables the continuation of engineering work on the Pomeranian nuclear power plant project and ensures the transition to the next stages of project implementation, including negotiations on the construction contract,” it says. PEJ and the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium with the EDA agreement
PEJ Vice President Piotr Piela said: “We have developed an agreement based on solid foundations, a well-thought-out structure and a clear division of responsibility. The agreement … is a platform for further cooperation and an example of a compromise favourable to both parties. It ensures the maintenance of the highest technological standards and security, while guaranteeing reasonable costs as well as responsible risk and schedule management. I am convinced that together with our American partners we are consistently approaching the conclusion of a final agreement for the construction of this power plant.”
Craig Albert, President and Operations Director of Bechtel, said the next phase of the project involves advanced geological research and engineering work. Since May 2024, Bechtel has been active in the site, conducting key activities, including building geological wells with a total length of almost 20 kilometres.
PEJ said the EDA agreement allows for the continuation of engineering work and ensures the transition to the next phases of project implementation, including negotiations on the construction contract. The agreement, among other things, will introduce a partial change to the remuneration model, improvement of the investor’s supervision over the implementation of the contract and the acceptance procedures for completed products, which results from the experience of implementing the ESC agreement.
The scope of the EDA agreement provides for further development of preparatory, geotechnical and engineering works, allowing for more advanced works on the technical design of the power plant, continued cooperation in obtaining permits and approvals and development of the supply chain.
