The government selected the technology for the nuclear power plant in Poland. The Americans will build us the first nuclear block. – We confirm the implementation of the nuclear project at the tested and safe Westinghouse Nuclear Company – The Prime Minister announced on Friday.
Interestingly, this option is not only praised by the government. “Good choice, justification for Polish presence, I keep my fingers crossed” – this way Opposition politicians commented on an important step in building the first nuclear weapon. Although there are many voices saying that such a decision should have been made a long time ago. We will have to wait more than a decade to get electricity from a nuclear power plant. As planned by the government, The construction of the nuclear power plant could begin in 2026 and be completed in 2033.
– The full set of articles, along with the decision, were referred to the Council of Ministers. The next stage is design – said Climate Minister Anna Mosqua, Announcing further steps.
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We will have to wait for the details of the construction of a nuclear power plant, but several announcements have been made during the negotiations so far. What follows from them?
nuclear power station. Where, how and to what extent?
– We spent a year and a We have spent more than $10 million to prepare our cost estimate and investment schedule. Our reactor is much cheaper to build than competing power plants, and its operating costs are 28 percent. lower – David Durham confirmed in an interview with Business Insider Polskahead of energy systems at Westinghouse.
What amounts are we talking about? Suggest unofficial informationThat French EDF offered to build four to six EPR units with a capacity of 1,650 MW for 33-48.5 billion euros last year. In turn, the Korean KHNP party announced that its bid would be 30 percent. Cheaper. On this basis, it can be estimated that Americans could fall at a price of less than 25 billion euros.
US government support to fund this investment would be quite significant, but details are still unknown.
So far, the Americans have talked about what nuclear power plants they will consist of Three AP1000 . reactors. Probably the first one was built in Pomerania, in the municipality of Chuchio. It is located more than 20 km from Scharnovyk, where the construction of a nuclear power plant based on the technology of the USSR was underway during the Polish People’s Republic.
However, it is worth adding that another site variable was analyzed: Żarnowiec itself in the Krokowa and Gniewino communities.
Two sites in Pomerania were considered for the construction of the first Polish nuclear power plant.
Only Westinghouse and its subcontractors will build the power plant. There is no way to join the investment, for example, the Koreans or the French who submitted their proposals to the government. This is because these techniques are very different.
The US nuclear power plant must be safe
– The AP1000 reactor is the only reactor on the market with a completely passive safety system – guarantee David Durhamhead of energy systems at Westinghouse.
In the worst case scenario, i.e. power loss, such as during Failure in FukushimaWhen a plant loses all of its backup power for whatever reason, it is essential to keep the fuel water cool. If he lost all electrical power, he would also lose the ability to pump water into the fuel and maintain the cooling process. Then the water boils and we have a case in Fukushima where the fuel is starting to melt.
The AP1000 reactor is different. It has a fully passive safety system, which means it needs no power to keep nuclear fuel cool in the event of a power outage. So if such a situation happened in Fukushima, the reactor would shut down by itself.
After 9/11, the United States also changed its regulations and introduced a requirement that new reactors be resistant to the effects of aircraft. The AP1000 is already ready for such threats. It has a double insulation shell for shock protection.
Westinghouse is also very proud of it The availability factor of AP1000 reactors for power production is on average 92.5%. Four AP1000 reactors in operation in China set industry records for fuel availability and loading times.
Polish companies will benefit from the nuclear power plant
On the occasion of the construction of the power plant, more infrastructure will also be built. A year ago, Westinghouse established a global shared services center in Krakow, with 165 employees. The company also intends to build an engineering center in our country.
Polish companies can count on contracts. Americans indicate that they have met with more than 500 companies so far and it is not only the supply of equipment or materials, but also services. They signed letters of intent with 34 companies. More than 50 percent of Westinghouse’s expenditures on this investment go to Polish companies.
