Polish Nuclear Power Plants (PEJ – Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe) have obtained the opinion of the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA Państwowej Agencji Atomistyki) regarding the Preliminary Location Report for the Lubiatowo-Kopalino location for Poland’s first NPP.
The opinion issued by the PAA President confirms that PEJ has carried out a full preliminary assessment of the research areas indicated in the regulations, correctly described their results and demonstrated that there are no factors at the site of the planned nuclear power plant that prevent its construction and subsequent operation. In each of the aspects analysed, location also makes it possible to ensure nuclear safety and radiation protection.
This report – the first of its kind in Poland – is a preliminary assessment of the selected location in terms of nuclear safety and radiological protection, as well as the recognition of the area as suitable for the location of a nuclear energy facility.
The nearly 700-page report submitted to the PAA President analysed and evaluated the site, considering a range of factors, including geological, seismic, tectonic, geotechnical, hydrogeological, hydrological, and meteorological conditions. It also examined natural and man-made external hazards, population density, and land use in the area, as well as the feasibility of implementing emergency response plans in the event of a radiation incident in that area.
“The opinion on the site selection issued by the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency marks another very important step in the process of building Poland’s first nuclear power plant,”said Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka. “The opinion confirms that the site of the future power plant allows for the assurance of nuclear safety and radiation protection, and that there are no factors on the site that would prevent construction and operation of the NPP. The largest project in the history of the Polish energy sector will materialize soon. Nuclear will be one of the cornerstones of energy transition and the strength of our economy.”
In November 2022, the then Polish government selected Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for a three-unit NPP, to be built at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania. An agreement setting a plan for the delivery of the plant was signed in May 2023 by Westinghouse, Bechtel and PEJ. In September 2023, an engineering development agreement (EDA) was signed with Westinghouse and Bechtel to finalise a site-specific design for the NPP. The Ministry of Climate & Environment issued a decision-in-principle in July 2024 for PEJ to construct the plant. In December 2025, PEJ signed an amendment to the EDA to accelerate preparatory work. According to the draft update of the Polish Nuclear Energy Programme (PPEJ – Program Polskiej Energetyki Jądrowej) commercial operation of the first unit is expected to begin in 2036.
“The issuance of an opinion on the Preliminary Site Evaluation Report by the PAA President is an important development for the project,” said Wojciech Wrochna, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy. “The PAA President reviewed the site evaluation submitted by the investor and concluded that the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site is suitable for a facility whose main component will be a three-unit nuclear power plant. We are now awaiting the next step, which is a detailed review of the Site Evaluation Report.”
PEJ CEO Marek Woszczyk noted: “The Preliminary Site Evaluation Report is based on data collected by our experts during unprecedented site and environmental surveys related to the project. In the nuclear power industry, there are no shortcuts, and safety comes first. In accordance with the Atomic Law Act, a nuclear facility may only be located on a site that allows, among other things, for the assurance of nuclear safety, radiation protection, and physical security during the facility’s commissioning, operation, and decommissioning.”
Obtaining the opinion of the PAA President on the Preliminary Site Evaluation Report is crucial because, once the amendment to the Nuclear Special Act, currently being debated in the Sejm (parliament) enters into force, the report will be one of the documents attached to the application to the PAA President for a licence to carry out early works qualified at the nuclear power facility. This will have a positive impact on the project schedule and will allow some of the construction work to be completed earlier.
PEJ identified Lubiatowo-Kopalino as its preferred site already in 2021. The feasibility of the project at this site has been confirmed by the issuance of, among other things, an environmental decision, a decision in principle, and a location decision. The Company also holds a permit for preparatory works, which began in autumn 2025.
On 31 March 2026, PEJ also submitted an application to the PAA President for a construction licence, which includes the Site Evaluation Report, providing comprehensive, more detailed analyses and measurements. Obtaining this licence is a condition for the issuance of a construction permit by the Head of Pomorskie Voivodeship. PEJ hopes to apply for the permit in 2027.
