A new poll shows that 85.7 percent of Poles support building a nuclear power plant, signaling the highest support ever amid a war in Ukraine that has sent energy prices sosaring.
The study from the Institute of Social and Economic Research (IBRiS) shows that only 9.2 percent of the respondents are against a nuclear plant in Poland.
The data also shows that respondents in the oldest age group, those 70 and over, along with those who have the lowest income, show the most support for the investment, with both groups at 100 percent support.
According to Rzeczpospolita daily, this result could mean that Poles believe a nuclear plant could allow Poland to achieve energy independence, which in turn could benefit these vulnerable groups in the form of lower energy bills.
The rising support can be seen when this survey is compared to a previous study conducted for the Ministry of Climate and Environment. In November 2020, only 62.5 percent of Poles expressed their support for the construction of a nuclear plant.
On Nov. 2, 2022, the Polish government passed a bill to construct the first Polish nuclear plant, with the government selecting the U.S.’s Westinghouse AP1000 technology. The project will involve constructing a reactor in Lubiatowo-Kopalino, on the Baltic Sea coast, and will cost €19.2 billion (90.6 billion zloty), according to initial government estimates.
The second nuclear plant is planned to be built by a South Korean company, after the Polish companies PGE and ZE PAK signed a letter of intent with Korea’s KHNP. It will be located in Pątnów, central Poland, and use Korean technology.
Poland is also considering the construction of a third nuclear power plant, which will most likely be built by French specialists.
