Poland Launches Procurement of Key Equipment for Its First Nuclear Power Plant

Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) announced on October 8, 2026, that it has formally commissioned Westinghouse Electric Company of the United States to initiate the ordering of Long-Lead Items (LLI) for Unit 1 of Poland's first nuclear power plant. The nuclear power project is located at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in Choczewo, Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland, and is planned to house 3 Westinghouse AP1000 pressurized water reactor units.

Long-lead critical components typically encompass large heavy forgings and castings required for the reactor pressure vessel, steam turbine and generator, dedicated instrumentation and control software, and high-technical-difficulty structural components. Because very few heavy industry enterprises worldwide possess the extreme manufacturing qualifications for such items, the nuclear industry generally needs to secure production slots years in advance. PEJ stated that the procurement scope for Poland's first unit covers 6 core components of the Nuclear Island, including the reactor steel Containment Vessel and associated large structural modules. The containment structure involves complex processes and extremely high safety standards, requiring specialized suppliers meeting the highest nuclear safety classification to complete manufacturing and delivery over several years.

This long-lead equipment procurement procedure is formally launched under the framework of the Engineering Development Agreement (EDA) currently being performed by PEJ and the Westinghouse-Bechtel Consortium. PEJ and Westinghouse explicitly stated that Polish domestic enterprises that successfully pass the international ASME NQA-1 nuclear quality assurance system certification will be eligible to bid for participation in the above-mentioned high-value supply chain contracts, serving as an important opportunity for Polish domestic industry to deeply enter the global nuclear power supply chain.

Wojciech Wrochna, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy and Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, pointed out that after the two sides reached agreement in September on the main commercial terms of the EPC engineering, procurement and construction contract, launching LLI procurement ahead of schedule can effectively avoid the risk of equipment ordering delays dragging down the overall project schedule, and reserves ample space for the two sides to conduct detailed EPC contract negotiations in a measured manner. PEJ President Marek Woszczyk added that locking in key long-lead equipment in advance not only safeguards the project timetable but also helps strictly control capital expenditure and budget risks in subsequent years.

According to the advancement timetable for Poland's first nuclear power plant, PEJ submitted a construction license application to the National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA) on March 31 of this year, and plans to apply for a building permit in 2027. The project is scheduled to pour the first concrete (FCD) for the Nuclear Island of Unit 1 in the fourth quarter of 2028. The construction period for each reactor is expected to be approximately 7 years, followed by about 1 year of commissioning and trial operation. The overall commercial operation targets are: Unit 1 to enter operation in 2036, Unit 2 in 2037, and Unit 3 to be connected to the grid in 2038.