Poland is building nuclear power plants and intends to educate own staff (COVERAGE)

The construction of the first nuclear power plant in Poland is a great technological, organizational and legal feat. In 2026, the construction of the first reactor is scheduled to begin, but in the future it will be necessary to train Polish specialists and personnel to manage the power plant. The Warsaw University of Technology is to come to the rescue.

On August 7, in the main building of the Warsaw University of Technology, a ceremony was held to sign an agreement defining the principles of cooperation between Polish Nuclear Power Plants (PEJ) and the University in the area of cooperation and training of personnel for the nuclear sector in Poland, which will include the exchange of experiences, the development of joint scholarship programs and internships for the best students.

“This is a great moment in changing the Polish energy mix. Poland must have cheap and stable electricity in the future. Energy must be available to the people and industry. However, without well-educated professionals, nuclear energy will not function properly,” said Anna Łukaszewska-Trzeciakowska, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure.

“Consistent implementation of the Nuclear Energy Program is the government’s response to the need to increase the energy security of our country and to meet the future demand of Poles for electricity. We are active in Pomerania, supporting local governments and residents. This autumn, a dedicated support programme for local authorities will be launched. The Program will include coordinated actions taken by investors, local authorities and he government. It is equally important for us to educate Polish personnel who will actively participate in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants in our country, which is why PEJ has already signed a cooperation agreement with the key technical university in Poland – Warsaw University of Technology,” she added.

“There will be no energy independence without the atom. The staff are the strength of this program. We hope that the Warsaw University of technology will help in this task. We will need not only physicists and IT specialists, but also lawyers, economists, etc. We have completed very difficult cross-border consultations with many countries,” said the acting President of the Board of Polish Nuclear Power Plants Łukasz Młynarkiewicz.

It should be mentioned that Poland plans to have the first AP1000 reactor in 2033 and 6-9 GW in 2043. It has selected Americans to work on the first power plant in Pomerania and is talking to potential partners for the second location as part pf a government program. At the same time talks about a “private” project are taking place between PGE, ZE PAK and the Korean KHNP in Pątnów , Greater Poland. The parties want to invest in the PAR1400 technology and the plant could be build by 2035.

Jacek Perzyński