Jacek Sasin announced the move via Twitter on Friday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Sasin wrote: “Mission accomplished. The plan by KGHM to build a small modular nuclear station in Poland has been approved by the Ministry for Climate and the Environment. Investments in nuclear energy, both large-scale and small, are gathering momentum. A big success.”
In 2022, KGHM signed an agreement with America's NuScale Power LLC for preliminary work on the implementation of SMR technology in Poland, the PAP news agency reported.
In April this year, KGHM applied for a decision-in-principle from the Ministry for Climate and the Environment for its project to construct an SMR power plant in Poland, according to officials.
The decision has now been granted, the government said.
The governmental decision-in-principle confirms that the project is in line with state policy, including energy policy, the PAP news agency reported.
The document is a basic requirement for projects to build nuclear power plants, according to officials.
Small Modular Reactors have a capacity of up to 300 MW, compared with 600-1,500 MW for large-scale nuclear reactors, according to experts.
SMR technology is most advanced in the United States and Canada, the Polish state news agency reported.
KGHM is a copper-and-silver mining company with assets on three continents and 40 million tonnes of copper ore resources worldwide, according to PAP.
The Polish government has a 31.79-percent stake in the company.
Poland to build large and small-scale nuclear plants
Last month, Poland’s Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) signed a letter of intent with Canada’s Ontario Power Generation, enlisting the help of the Canadian partner in its project to “deploy and operate small modular reactors in Europe,” officials said.
On Wednesday, the Polish government approved a plan to build the country’s first large-scale nuclear power plant using US technology, with the first reactor due for launch in 2033.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, KGHM, World Nuclear News