Urszula Zielińska made the declaration in an interview with private broadcaster Radio Zet on Tuesday, the biznesalert.pl website reported.
Zielińska, who represents the Green Party, said the Civic Coalition would "verify" the Polish government’s agreement with American firms Westinghouse and Bechtel for the establishment of Poland’s first nuclear power plant in the north of the country, according to biznesalert.pl.
She said: “We have to establish the duration of the agreement and what fines Poland would have to pay for cancelling it.”
Zielińska added that the government’s plans to develop nuclear energy “lack a calculation of funding” and “there is no business plan.”
Asked if the KO would cancel the deal to build Poland’s first nuclear station after taking power, the Green Party politician replied: “We have agreed in the Civic Coalition that within 100 days after the new majority government is installed, we’ll produce a funding plan for energy based on renewable sources, as well as a plan for the development of nuclear energy, something that the current government has failed to do.”
Last month, Poland's opposition leader Donald Tusk, a former prime minister, said his Civic Coalition grouping would “champion nuclear energy” after taking power, according to the energetyka24.pl website.
Asked by reporters if the KO would change current policy with regard to building nuclear power plants, Tusk said: “I would like all policies that are necessary for Poland to continue.”
He added that energy policy, like national defence and health protection, “has no ideological colour” and “must not be partisan.”
Tusk stated: “All the policies that serve the people can be continued.”
He added that the current nuclear policy would be “verified” by the new government, energetyka24.pl reported.
On September 27, Polish utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) signed a contract with US firms Westinghouse Electric Company and Bechtel for the design of Poland's first nuclear power plant, due for launch in 2033.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the US ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, attended the signing ceremony.
Poland’s first nuclear power plant to be ready in 2033
In May, the Polish government and PEJ signed a “milestone” agreement with Westinghouse and Bechtel on the design and construction of Poland’s first planned nuclear power plant.
Poland’s first nuclear station is set to be built in the northern villages of Lubiatowo and Kopalino on the Baltic coast, using Westinghouse's AP1000 reactor technology, officials said at the time.
Construction is set to start in 2026, with the first of three reactors slated to be ready in 2033, according to the Polish government.
In April, Poland’s state-run energy giant PGE and the biggest private energy firm ZE PAK created a joint-venture company that will team up with South Korea’s KHNP to build a nuclear plant in western Poland.
In all, Poland’s nuclear energy policy foresees the creation of six nuclear reactors with a combined installed capacity of 6-9 GW, the PAP news agency reported.
Meanwhile in July, the Polish government approved a plan by state mining company KGHM to build a nuclear power plant based on small modular reactor (SMR) technology.
Poles to elect new parliament on October 15
In August, Poland's lawmakers approved a plan to combine parliamentary elections with a nationwide referendum on issues including illegal migration.
Voters will head to the ballot box on October 15 to elect 460 new MPs and 100 senators for a four-year term.
The ruling conservative Law and Justice party and its government coalition allies have maintained a clear lead over the opposition in most recent surveys, polling ahead of the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), the far-right Confederation group, and the Third Way coalition of the rural-based Polish People’s Party (PSL) and the centre-right Poland 2050 grouping.
The ruling conservatives in 2019 won a convincing victory over opposition parties at the ballot box, securing a second term in power.
(pm/gs)
Source: biznesalert.pl, energetyka24.pl