Opportunities for Polish companies to be involved in the construction of large and small nuclear units, as well as ways to finance investment projects, were the main topics of the “Nuclear Power Value Chain in Poland” conference.
The conference was organised by the Energy Club together with the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw and the Institute of Power Engineering. The event, which took place on [date to be inserted], started with the presentation of a report entitled “The Nuclear Power Value Chain in Poland”. The conclusions of this study became the starting point for the discussion, focused on the key opportunities as well as the challenges and risks associated with the implementation of Poland’s nuclear power programme.
Nuclear power's significance in Polish energy generation
The government has adopted a programme to build large [nuclear] units with a total capacity of between 6,000 and 9,000 MW. At the same time, several companies have decided to engage in smaller projects with SMRs (small modular reactors).
Fulfilment of all these intentions would result in a significant increase in the position of nuclear power in the Polish generation mix. Nuclear would have a share of up to 38%.
For Poland, nuclear power is crucial not only for energy-related reasons, but also for economic reasons. The implementation of the entire programme could become an opportunity to strengthen Polish industry. During the first part of the conference, the attendees discussed the ways to support [Polish] businesses so that they can receive contracts related to implementation of nuclear projects. Due to the scale of Poland’s nuclear programme and its costs, the state expects significant participation from domestic companies.
The Polish Development Fund (PFR) is ready to financially support companies interested in participating in nuclear projects in Poland. "We want to see nuclear power development in our country, and harnessing the potential of Polish companies is very important.
How to reach a large share of local content in nuclear power
According to the PFR’s expert, coordination and joint efforts are key when building support for national stakeholders. There is a major opportunity to build the capacity of the Polish nuclear industry.
We are more likely to have a large number of Polish companies participating in the construction of nuclear power plants than in the case of offshore wind farms, where reaching a 50% share of Polish companies will be considered a success.
However, it will be difficult to enforce an adequate level of local content in nuclear power. It will be easier to encourage investors and technology suppliers if a scheme is applied of incentives rather than penalties. This is because the nuclear power industry uses suppliers from all over the world, operating on a global market. Thus, contracts and orders in the Polish nuclear programme should be available to both Polish and international companies.
Representatives of Poland’s potential nuclear technology suppliers present at the conference unanimously assured that they want to make use of Polish companies.
Mirosław Kowalik, President of Westinghouse Poland, said that Polish engineers are already employed in the company’s service centre, operating in our country since August. After selecting the technology, key tasks will include building the infrastructure and supporting Polish companies to meet the relevant requirements. This is not only about quality systems, but also about standards to be complied with.
We are talking about involvement of Polish business at the level of at least 50%. I am not concerned with readiness and qualifications of the companies that can be engaged to build a conventional island, as many have experience in this.
Westinghouse representatives attended meetings with more than 500 Polish entities. The result? A group of ca. 60-70 are already pre-qualified. Westinghouse is aiming to create a hub for the nuclear industry in Poland, both for engineering and construction.
New technologies – an opportunity for decarbonisation
For several years, support for entrepreneurs has also been offered by the Polish Chamber of Power Engineering and Environmental Protection. Its director, Bogdan Pilch, said that preparing companies to participate in the nuclear programme was “a multi-year process, requiring resources and patience”. He also pointed out that it is now particularly important to quickly select power plant contractors, as they will impose the requirements on subcontractors. According to Mr Pilch, the participation of Polish companies will be significant in the works related to site preparation and construction of the turbine island.
However, we are not alone with the nuclear project. There is also potential competition from neighbouring countries. Therefore, we must also be active in exporting the services of our companies to wherever nuclear projects will be built.
Innovations in energy management
Thierry Deschaux, Director General of EDF’s Representative Office in Poland, has assured that EDF’s offer to build EPR reactors in Poland is still binding. The French are working with PEJ [Polish Nuclear Power Company] to select a site for a second nuclear power plant and are hoping to win.
He argued in favour of EDF’s bid, pointing to the company’s vast experience in the construction of inland power plants, as well as its portfolio of highly efficient projects on the banks of small rivers
And most importantly, the company also knows how to build the supply chain in Europe.
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