What goes in Poland on 14th of April.
PGE PAK Nuclear Energy
On April 13, Polska Grupa Energetyczna and ZE PAK established a joint venture called PGE PAK Energia Jądrowa with a 50 percent share each. The new company will handle talks with the Korean KHNP on the construction of two to four APR1400 reactors using KHNP technology from South Korea in Konin/Pątnów.
The location is yet to be determined. The NPP that will be built by ZE PAK, which is a private company, and PGE, which is owned by the state, is to be an extension to the government program that involves the construction of two NPPs, out of which one will be built in Pomerania with Westinghouse. The first reactor in Poland is to be completed in 2033 by the sea, and the Korean project in an ambitious scenario outlined by the Ministry of State Assets in 2035.
„Renewables alone, although important, will never be able to provide energy security. These sources are capricious and require investments in energy storage. Nuclear power is cheap, safe and secure. We can be sure of it and feel safe,” explained Jacek Sasin, Minister of State Assets. „We’re no exception. Many took this path. We are starting to tread on it very quickly,” he said.
„This is the reason for the second big investment right here, in Pątnów, the second nuclear power plant built as part of a business project,” the Minister continued. „KHNP has already built many such power plants,” he stated.
„It is necessary to draft many analyses, to examine everything, in terms of location, security issues, to say the least,” Jacek Sasin explained. „Two reactors is the preliminary plan, but we are also talking about expanding this investment. Energy generation that would cover 10 percent of the country’s demand is on the table,” he revealed. „We expect this plant to be operational in about 12 years,” he promised.
Wojciech Jakóbik
Formal application submitted
On 13 April, Polish Nuclear Power Plants (PEJ) submitted an application to the Ministry of Climate and Environment for a decision-in-principle to build Poland’s first NPP. The plant will be built in Pomerania. This has been done at the earliest possible date, after the update to the so-called Special Nuclear Act – Act on the Preparation and Implementation of Investments in Nuclear Facilities and Accompanying Investments has entered into force. „The decision-in-principle will formally confirm that the investment in Poland’s first nuclear power plant is in line with the public interest and the policies pursued by the state, including energy policy. The decision will also empower the investor, Polish Nuclear Power Plants, to apply for a number of further administrative decisions, including a location decision and later a construction permit,” PEJ explains.
Poland wants to have the first reactor in 2033 and 6-9 GW of nuclear power in 2043.
Polish Nuclear Power Plants / Wojciech Jakóbik
Special act on pumped storage power plants with amendments
The Sejm (lower chamber of the Polish parliament – ed.) continues working on a draft version of the act on pumped storage power plants. After the plenary debate after the second reading of the draft (12 April), the Sejm Committee on Energy, Climate and State Assets voted on the amendments to the draft (13 April).
In total, there were 11 amendments, most of them were submitted by the Law and Justice party (ruling coalition party – ed.).
„When we were working on this bill, it was pointed out that some of the wording could be clarified and made more precise,” Marek Suski (Law and Justice MP), Chairman of the Committee said. Therefore, several amendments were proposed during the Commission meeting. The updates make the bill more precise and clear (e.g. add commas, other punctuation marks and editorial clarifications). According to the Law and Justice MPs, they were proposed on the basis of talks between the government and the Sejm Legislation Bureau.
Teresa Wójcik
PKN Orlen will produce E10 fuel
„We are addressing the problems of Polish agriculture. The Orlen group will accelerate investments in our refineries by two years to produce the E10 fuel from January 2024 (we are only waiting for the government to draft appropriate regulations). As a result, we will increase by almost 50 percent the demand for bioethanol needed for fuel production,” Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek tweeted.
However, the production of E10 fuel will be associated with increased demand for biotenol. The CEO called on bioethanol producers to „look after economic patriotism and purchase products from Polish farmers”.
E10 fuel is a type of gasoline with an increased share – up to 10 percent – of biocomponents mixed with ethanol, which is an alcohol produced from biomass: sugar cane, beets, corn and wheat. Therefore, farmers will play a key role in the project as one of the main suppliers of components for the production of this type of fuel.
Polish Press Agency / Bartosz Siemieniuk