Poland Submits Application for Nuclear Power Plant Construction

Historic Application Submitted to the NAEA

On March 31, 2026, Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) officially submitted an application to the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency (NAEA) for a permit to construct Poland's first nuclear power plant. The documentation comprises over 40,000 pages and was prepared by more than 200 specialists in the field of nuclear energy. Importantly, the application was submitted six months ahead of schedule—a sign that the project is gaining momentum faster than anticipated.

Three Reactors in Pomerania

The power plant will be built in the Lubiatowo-Kopalino location in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania. It will consist of three power units equipped with Westinghouse AP1000 reactors with a total installed capacity of 3750 MWe. The general contractor for the investment is the American consortium Westinghouse-Bechtel.

The AP1000 reactor is a third-generation design with passive safety systems that operate without the need for operator intervention or external power. This technology is already being implemented in the United States and China.

Schedule and Financing

According to the Atomic Law, the NAEA has 24 months to issue a decision on the permit. In parallel, PEJ plans to submit a building permit application to the Pomeranian Voivode in 2027. Preparatory work on the construction site already began in 2025.

The pouring of the first nuclear concrete is planned for the end of 2028. The construction of each reactor will take approximately seven years, plus one year for testing and commissioning. The first unit is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2036, the second in 2037, and the third in 2038.

The project is financed with 60 billion PLN (approximately 14 billion EUR) from state funds. The financial model has been approved by the European Commission. The signing of the EPC contract between PEJ and the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium is expected in mid-2026.

Breakthrough in Energy Transition

PEJ President Marek Woszczyk described the day of the application submission as "one of the most important days for the project's implementation". Minister Wojciech Wrochna emphasized that the investment "will guarantee stable energy prices for Polish families for decades to come."

Poland is one of the last major European countries without nuclear energy, and at the same time, one of the most dependent on coal. The construction of a nuclear power plant is of fundamental importance for the decarbonization of the Polish energy mix and reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports.

Public support for nuclear power is at a record high—according to surveys from the end of 2025, 92 percent of Poles support nuclear energy, and 80 percent would accept a power plant in their area. This is one of the highest acceptance rates in Europe.

What's Next?

The NAEA's decision will pave the way for actual construction work. Poland still has a long way to go, but the submission of the permit application—the first such step in the country's history after 1989—means that the Polish nuclear program has ceased to be a plan on paper and has become a real infrastructure investment on a generational scale.