Polish and U.S. Government Officials attend the inaugural meeting held at Bechtel’s new Poland Office
Site geological surveys for Poland’s first nuclear power plant project have begun, Bechtel announced today.
Bechtel will conduct in-depth geological surveys at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Pomeranian municipality of Choczewo. A key milestone in the engineering service contract signed in September of last year, the surveys will increase knowledge of the geological and hydrogeological conditions at the plant’s location.
“We are pleased to begin the next stage of preparations for the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant,” said John Howanitz, President of Bechtel’s Nuclear, Security, and Environmental business unit. “This is a strategic investment for the country and must be carried out to the highest standards. We fully support Poland's aspirations for decarbonization and energy independence, and we are establishing cooperation with local suppliers in pursuit of those objectives.”
Earlier this month, Bechtel awarded the contract for the geological work to P.S.D. Poland, located in Slupsk. The surveys will be conducted from May through November, covering an area of approximately 30 hectares. Findings will be utilized in the earthworks design for the plant, including the three nuclear power units, the inflow basin, and the cooling water channels. This investigation will also inform the Location Report which will help the investor, Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe, obtain a construction permit from the Polish nuclear regulatory, the National Atomic Energy Agency.
The symbolic kick-off ceremony for Bechtel's field operations took place at Bechtel's new office in Warsaw attended by representatives of the Polish and U.S. governments, as well as regulatory bodies, scientific institutions, and local authorities. Among those present were Maciej Bando, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, Milosz Motyka, Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment, and Beata Rutkiewicz, Pomeranian Voivode. The event's guest of honor was Mark Brzezinski, U.S. Ambassador to Poland.
“Today we are celebrating a major milestone in the U.S. Polish special friendship – the inauguration of field activities on the nuclear powerplant construction site in Lubiatowo-Kopalino and the opening of Bechtel office in Warsaw,” said Mark Brzezinski, U.S. Ambassador to Poland. “It’s another important step forward as Poland and the United States work together to create a civil nuclear industry in Poland, and it shows that the United States is delivering on our shared commitment to Poland’s energy security and supporting Poland’s energy transition. The selection of Westinghouse and Bechtel – two gold standard American companies – to advance Poland's civil nuclear power program brings energy security to the core of Polish-American cooperation.”
Bechtel is in the processes of engaging Polish entrepreneurs in the supply chain of the nuclear power plant project. The company has already signed contracts with several Polish subcontractors including: Energoprojekt-Katowice S.A., Prochem SA, and Summa Linguae Technologies S.A.
“The commencement of the initial fieldwork for the construction of this plant is a significant moment for the Polish economy, the companies that will participate in the supply chain, and the local community,” said Leszek Holda, Bechtel Poland Country Manager. “It is encouraging to see that the project enjoys the support of a wide range of stakeholders, with decision-makers, businesses, and scientific institutions all speaking with one voice about this key investment.”
The nuclear power plant to be constructed at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site represents a significant step in Poland's energy transition. Its construction and subsequent operation will create a new sector of the economy, which will employ thousands of professionals, specialists, and engineers.
“The project to build Poland's first nuclear power plant is gaining momentum. So far, the work performed by the U.S. side has been limited mainly to preparatory and analytical issues carried out at the company's headquarters. Now Bechtel is starting geological work in the field, at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site,” said Leszek Juchniewicz, a member of the board of directors and acting president of Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe. “We have a very important and challenging time ahead of us with regard to the design and construction of the first nuclear power plant in our country."
For 70 years, Bechtel has helped customers deliver clean energy through nuclear. In that time, Bechtel has designed, built, or provided construction services on 150 nuclear plants worldwide, bringing more than 76,000 megawatts of new nuclear generation capacity to the world. Bechtel’s current portfolio includes large scale reactors such as Plant Vogtle and Watts Bar and also small modular reactors/advance reactors including the Natrium Advanced Demonstration Reactor in the U.S. Recently, Bechtel and Westinghouse signed a contract that paves the way for work on Poland’s first nuclear power plant where Bechtel recently opened a new office. To learn more about Bechtel’s expertise and experience in nuclear, visit Bechtel.com at Nuclear Power Plant Project Construction | Bechtel.
