Jacek Sasin made the declaration in a media interview this week, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
On Monday, the state-run Polish Energy Group (PGE) and Polish energy producer ZE PAK signed a letter of intent with South Korea’s state-owned energy company KHNP on developing plans for the construction of a nuclear power plant at Pątnów in south-central Poland, according to officials.
Poland’s Sasin and South Korea’s Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee-Chang Yang were present as the document was signed in the South Korean capital Seoul, news agencies reported.
Commenting on the deal, Sasin told Polish television broadcaster Polsat News: “It’s a business project, but one that is very much supported by the Polish government.”
He described KHNP as “a big South Korean state company, with experience and capital that it will invest in the construction of the nuclear plant and other projects.”
Under Monday’s letter of intent, the Pątnów facility will feature South Korea’s advanced APR-1400 nuclear power reactors, with preliminary plans for the project expected to be drawn up by the end of this year, reporters were told.
Sasin told Polsat News that over the next decade, two nuclear power plants would be simultaneously built in Poland, one by the private Polish-South Korean consortium and another in partnership with the United States under the government’s nuclear energy programme.
Poland aims to build two nuclear power plants by 2033
Sasin declared: “Hopefully the construction process will be swift ... and take around 10 years."
He added that "under the government programme, the first reactor is scheduled for launch in 2033, and in the case of the Polish-South Korean project we are talking about 10 years, so we’ll have two nuclear power plants up and running at about the same time.”
More cheaper energy for Poland
Sasin said that, thanks to the two new facilities, Poland would have its own sources of cheap nuclear energy, resulting in lower electricity prices.
He said in the interview: “In 10-11 years we’ll not only have more energy, but it will also be simply cheaper for the economy, for industry and for households.”
Sasin told Polsat News: “Thanks to this project, the Polish economy will become more competitive and Polish families will have cheaper energy.”
He argued that “nuclear energy won’t be subject to additional fees for the emission of greenhouse gases.”
“We are moving away from emission-based energy and we have to replace it with something, and renewables are not a stable source.”
Poland plans to build six nuclear reactors: PM
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said that the country plans to build a total of “six reactors in three nuclear power plants.”
Poland picks US to build its first nuclear power plant
Morawiecki on Friday confirmed that Poland would team up with the United States and American company Westinghouse to build its first nuclear power plant.
Poland has also received offers for the construction of nuclear power plants from France’s EDF, the PAP news agency has reported.
Poland's Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa said in October that 2026 was "a realistic date for launching the construction of the first nuclear reactor” in Poland.
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Source: PAP, money.pl
Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek.