Nuclear
Nuclear energy can help make the energy sector’s journey away from fossil fuels faster and more secure. Only a nuclear power plant guarantees the ability to deliver huge amounts of clean energy at any time, in any weather. It also guarantees zero-emission energy and therefore can support the crucial process of decarbonisation and the achievement of net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by the mid-century.
Thanks to SMRs, nuclear power can be reborn in a form that is still difficult to imagine today.
SMRs are generally considered reactor units with a 300 megawatt electrical output or less, or about one-third the size of a typical nuclear power plant. Due to their relatively small size, SMRs are designed to be more affordable and safer than full-size reactors. According to the IAEA there are about 70 projects being developed around the world, by a variety of enterprises, some of them startups.
We prefer technologies based on proven solutions however, and we want to deliver clean, nuclear energy to the grid as soon as possible, which is why we chose the BWRX-300 from GE Hitachi.
Decarbonisation of Poland
Poland has a vital need to transform its energy system. The Polish electricity generation mix will fundamentally change as energy generation assets are reaching decommissioning age and the pressure for energy transition is growing.
Coal, the currently dominant energy source, must be marginalized by 2050 and replaced by nuclear and renewables.
But replacing one source by another will not be enough. The demand for electricity will only increase in coming decades (due to the dynamic growth of the economy, increasing numbers of electric cars, and hydrogen production). The country needs new sources of energy to head off an electricity demand-supply gap.
SMRs can play an important part in the country’s energy mix transition and especially provide support to the growing industry sector in its shift to clean energy. This type of nuclear reactor is a tailor-made solution for municipalities to provide district heating. Poland has the highest number of people connected to district heating in the EU: 16 mln Poles are connected to district heating systems, including Warsaw with the largest heating network in Europe.
Poland faces the major challenge of decarbonising its energy sector. As a coal-reliant nation, we need to completely rebuild our energy system. Our firm wants to be an active player in that process. We have the solution, the necessary competencies and we have the motivation.
Due its specific characteristics, Poland is one of the most promising markets in the EU for the successful development of SMR technologies.
With our vision for developing nuclear facilities, we plan to become an important player in Poland’s energy transformation