Poland’s first nuclear power plant is moving closer to a final construction contract after state-owned Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe and the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium agreed on the main commercial terms of an EPC deal worth tens of billions of zlotys, clearing a major hurdle for a project central to Warsaw’s energy security strategy.
Poland Nuclear Plant Moves Toward EPC Contract
The breakthrough matters because the contract will define the risk split, liability and payment structure for one of Europe’s biggest energy investments, with total project costs estimated at about 192 billion to 200 billion zlotys. For Poland, the plant is meant to cut reliance on fossil fuels and imported power over the long term; for investors and contractors, it signals that the country’s flagship nuclear build is finally moving from design and negotiation into a more executable phase.
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PEJ said the agreement on the core commercial and legal issues does not yet finalize the deal, but it opens the way to hammer out remaining clauses and annexes before a targeted signing by year-end. The company had originally hoped to sign by the end of June, underscoring how difficult the talks have been around allocation of risk and responsibility in a project of this scale.
Work at the future site in Lubiatowo-Kopalino in the Choczewo municipality is already advancing, with a second round of preparatory work and deeper geological studies under way. PEJ submitted a construction permit application to Poland’s nuclear regulator in March and plans to file for the main building permit next year, keeping the schedule aimed at first power in 2036.
The project is also starting to feed domestic industry. PEJ has handed over the site to Bechtel and has begun awarding contracts to Polish firms including Budimex, Doraco, Unihouse, MSA Security and Barg M.B. Gdańsk, with more subcontracts expected. That should support local employment and industrial participation, while giving investors a clearer picture of how much of the multibillion-zloty program stays in Poland.
The next catalyst is the final EPC signing by the end of the year, followed by regulatory approvals and additional contracting. Any further delays would likely push out milestones across the build-out, but for now the deal’s main commercial terms mark the strongest sign yet that Poland’s nuclear program is entering its decisive phase.
| Entity | Gains | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| PEJ / Polish state | ▲Project advances; risk terms clarified | ▼Negotiating leverage narrows |
| Westinghouse-Bechtel | ▲Path to large EPC contract | ▼More defined liability and delivery obligations |
| Polish contractors | ▲More subcontracts and site work | ▼Foreign primes keep control of core package |
| Poland’s power system | ▲Long-term low-carbon capacity build | ▼Near-term capital burden and schedule risk |
