Elias Gedeon: Nuclear power as a solution for Poland

Is Poland ready for nuclear power?

Yes. Let’s take a look at energy challenges that are facing Europe, especially in the last year, driven primarily by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Nuclear energy remains the solution for Poland and for the region to meet its decarbonisation target and to strengthen its energy security. Westinghouse remains committed to help Poland achieve its energy security and strengthen it by providing the AP 1000 reactors.

In addition to the reactors, can you provide anything else?

Of course. We’re providing the entire power plant design and the services that will come with it. And this is not just about building the unit. This will be a 100-year relationship between Poland and Westinghouse. We will also provide fuel for the power plant during that period. For now, we’re talking about the AP1000, but we’d be happy to discuss other products and services that we can provide.

How can nuclear energy complement Polish and European energy sources?

The AP1000 is currently the world’s most advanced, safe, and reliable reactor. Four units are already in commercial operation in China, breaking industry records. Two more units are under construction in the US and another four in China. The reactor in Poland would be the 11th. The AP1000 is a proven technology that works very well with solar and wind renewable energy sources. It responds very rapidly to power changes and grid fluctuations. It is a safe and reliable source of energy.

The AP1000 has a high availability, so it will cover more than 25% of Poland’s electricity demand once the investment is completed. Six units can reduce CO2 emissions by 53 million tons per year. That is equivalent to removing about 1.2 million cars from the road.

The system is environmentally friendly and efficient.

And, in addition, it’s safe and proven.

What are your advantages in comparison with your competition?

First of all, the AP 1000 has a passive safety system. In the event a station loses all its power and external supply (such as what happened to Fukushima), our reactor shuts itself automatically without the operator intervention, ensuring its cooling for 72 hours. Second, our reactor is proven and reliable. I have already mentioned that the reactor in Poland would be our 11th unit. Third, it has a very small carbon footprint as compared to its competitors. And not only compared to large reactors. Even if you compare it to SMRs with the same capacities.

So the combination of all these plus the industry performance records that we’re seeing from our Chinese units separate us well ahead from all our competition.

How long does it take to develop this reactor? From the beginning to first commissioning?

The power plant we offer in the intergovernmental agreement to the Polish customer is a proven solution based on a proven design and documentation. This is a standardised, modular reactor design. We are ready to implement such a facility in Poland in accordance with the Polish programme. If the Polish government makes its choice in the fall, the first unit should be operational by 2033.

Do you include the participation of Polish industry in this endeavour?

Certainly. We met with more than 500 Polish companies to learn about their capabilities and capacities. We have signed a number of memoranda of understanding, regarding their participation in the supply chain. We estimate that over the course of the project, more than PLN 100 billion will be put back into the Polish economy. In addition, we have established an office in Krakow, which just celebrated its first anniversary. There are 165 employees who serve Westinghouse worldwide. We plan to expand the office and create an engineering centre for the project in question, but we are also thinking about other locations. As a result, companies cooperating on the power plant in Poland will have the opportunity to be involved in projects in the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Slovenia, and other countries.

Do you have any ideas on how to train staff? You will need hundreds of employees, including very technically advanced positions. Do you plan to cooperate with Polish universities?

Not only do we have such plans, but we are already putting them into action. We currently have 15 students from five Polish universities on internship in the US. They have been there for two months and are returning soon. They learned about our nuclear technology and how we design and build the AP1000. Many of them have already expressed their interest in joining the Westinghouse team in Poland. This is what it looks like from the engineering point of view.