Poland chooses US to build its first nuclear power plant

Warsaw: Poland has chosen US firm Westinghouse to build the European country's first nuclear power plant. The move comes in as a part of the country's efforts to burn less coal and gain greater energy independence.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated that Poland would use the “reliable, safe technology” of the Westinghouse Electric Company for the plant in Pomerania province near the Baltic Sea coast. 

The country plans to spend 40 billion dollars for the building of two nuclear power plants with three reactors each, the last one set to be launched in 2043. This deal is for the first three reactors of the Pomerania plant. As per Poland's government officials, it should start producing



electricity in 2033.

Early 1980s saw the construction of a Soviet-technology nuclear plant, which was scrapped following protests by residents and environmentalists, the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine and budget shortages. Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Energy Secretary stated that the project would create or sustain more than one lakh jobs for American workers.

Before signing up this deal, Poland had been considering offers from France and South Korea. Jacek Sasin, Poland State Assets Minister, suggested that there could still be a role for South Korea in the project and more talks are scheduled in Seoul in the coming week.