Westinghouse Electric Company and Bechtel have officially signed a consortium agreement to collaborate on the design and construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant, located at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in Pomerania. This partnership is a significant step towards achieving commercial operation for Poland's first AP1000® nuclear reactor, expected by 2033.

At the signing ceremony for the consortium agreement, held at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, key participants included U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski, Ahmet Tokpinar (General Manager of Bechtel’s Nuclear Power Business Line), Elias Gedeon (Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations at Westinghouse), Miroslaw Kowalik (President, Westinghouse Poland), and Anna Łukaszewska-Trzeciakowska (Poland Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure).

The U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, highlighted the growing cooperation between the United States and Poland in advancing advanced nuclear technologies for clean energy. Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, expressed confidence in Westinghouse and Bechtel's ability to bring high-quality nuclear energy technology to Poland.

David Durham, President for Energy Systems at Westinghouse, emphasized the team's experience and expertise in delivering large nuclear energy projects, particularly with the advanced AP1000 technology, which offers fully passive safety systems, modular construction, and a compact design.

John Howanitz, President of Bechtel's Nuclear, Security & Environmental global business unit, emphasized the consortium's combined experience, technology, and commitment to building Poland's inaugural nuclear energy program.

The consortium, along with Polish utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, is expected to sign an engineering services contract in the coming week. Westinghouse's AP1000 reactor technology was chosen by the Polish government for its first nuclear energy program in November 2022.

The AP1000 reactor stands out for its Generation III+ design, featuring fully passive safety systems, modular construction, and a compact footprint per MWe. It is currently operational in the United States and China, with more units under construction in China. Additionally, Bulgaria has selected AP1000 technology for its new reactor program, and it is under consideration at various other sites worldwide.

Westinghouse Electric Company is a global provider of safe, innovative nuclear and clean power technologies and services, with a rich history of innovation spanning over 135 years. The company's technology forms the basis for nearly half of the world's operational nuclear plants.