Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) has completed the first stage of work aimed at conducting a preliminary analysis of the possibility of building the country’s second nuclear power plant in the Bełchatów region, announced CEO Dariusz Marzec, according to the Do Rzeczy news portal.
Decisions regarding this second plant will be made in line with the Polish Nuclear Power Program by the Polish government, with numerous institutions involved in the preliminary analysis conducted.
“Analytical work, including a review of archived geological and environmental data, indicates that this region may meet the criteria required for such an investment. These results pave the way for further, in-depth field research. We plan to begin the next stage of research, including preparing a cooling water study and drilling the first wells to identify local geological conditions,” Marzec wrote on X.
AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, the Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute (Katowice), the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute (Warsaw), and the Poltegor-Institute — Opencast Mining Institute (Wrocław) have all contributed to the work so far.
PGE generates 41 percent of Poland’s net electricity production. It has an 18 percent share in the heating market and some 10 percent of the renewable energy market.
Within a distribution area of approximately 123,000 km², PGE serves 5.5 million customers. Its market share in terms of distributed electricity volume is 25 percent, and in terms of sales to end users, 33 percent. The company has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2009 and is a component of the WIG20 index.
In July, the Polish Nuclear Power Plants (PEJ) officially notified the European Commission (EC) of the investment project for the first nuclear power plant in Poland.
Notification under the Euratom Treaty is a legal requirement for nuclear projects in European Union Member States. Its purpose is to enable the European Commission to assess the project’s compliance with the objectives of the Euratom Treaty, including in particular safety, technical, and economic aspects of the project, notes Do Rzezcy.
Poland had hoped to have its first nuclear power plant fully operational by 2036, but this has now been pushed back to 2040.
Ironically, given Poland’s dedication to move away from coal, one Ukrainian company is actively looking to renew coal production at a mine in Silesia.
