Under the contract, Polimex Mostostal will provide a key element of the production and assembly facilities for the construction of three Westinghouse AP1000 units commissioned by Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ). The contract includes a full range of engineering services, including the development of design documentation for obtaining necessary permits, as well as the supply of materials, structural assembly, testing, acceptance, and final handover of both halls.
The AP1000 reactor design uses modular construction techniques, enabling large structural modules to be built at factories and then installed at the site. The reactor building and systems consist of dozens of prefabricated, steel-concrete structural and mechanical modules. The largest modules, such as the 1,000-tonne CA01 module, will be constructed in temporary assembly halls at the construction site.
Each of the two halls will be 129 metres long, 55 metres wide and 44 metres high. Inside the halls – to be built directly adjacent to the units under construction – structural and mechanical modules, as well as containment rings and roofs, and panels for the protective building will be assembled. Each hall will be equipped with three overhead cranes – two with a rated lifting capacity of 125 tonnes and one with a lifting capacity of 60 tonnes, designed for precise manoeuvring of components.
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How the assembly halls could look (Image: Polimex Mostostal)
“Constructing two assembly halls, each as tall as a 12-storey office building and with a base larger than a football pitch, is a project almost unprecedented in Poland,” said Leszek Hołda, CEO of Bechtel Polska. “There are only a few similar facilities in the country, but this will be the first to assemble the nuclear island components, weighing over 1,000 tonnes. This is why this contract is so special, as it’s the first to directly support the construction of the nuclear power plant.”
Piotr Andrusiewicz, President of the Management Board of Polimex Mostostal, added: “The construction of the assembly halls will be a key element in preparations for the implementation of one of the most significant energy projects in Poland’s history. We are pleased that, as a Polish company, we can collaborate on this project with such an experienced partner as Bechtel and actively support the development of Polish industry and strengthen the country’s energy security.”
“A nuclear power plant is a pillar of our energy security, but also one of the most important industrial projects for the future of the Polish economy,” said Miłosz Motyka, Minister of Energy. “Its scale creates space for industrial development, highly specialised services, and expertise. That’s why we are consistently working to ensure the broadest possible participation of Polish businesses – not only in the implementation of the current investment, but also in building their sustainable competitiveness. Today’s contract demonstrates that the domestic supply chain is already strengthening: Polish companies are gaining orders, experience, and expertise in one of the most demanding technological projects. We want the capital built on the first Polish power plant to continue to be used in subsequent investments and on foreign markets. This is the long-term value we want to leave for the Polish economy.”
PEJ noted that, this year alone, as part of building the supply chain and supporting Polish industry, ,more than 10 large contracts with Polish subcontractors and a number of smaller agreements have been concluded for the Lubiatowo-Kopalino nuclear power plant project. The total value of contracts concluded with Polish companies as part of the nuclear power plant construction project at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino location in the Choczewo commune has already exceeded PLN2.2 billion (USD570 million), it said.
The background
In November 2022, the then Polish government selected Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. In September 2023, Westinghouse, Bechtel and PEJ – a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by Poland’s State Treasury – signed an 18-month engineering services contract under which Westinghouse and Bechtel will finalise a site-specific design for a plant featuring three AP1000 reactors. In April last year, PEJ and the Westinghouse-Bechtel Consortium agreed the terms and conditions of an Engineering Development Agreement (EDA) after the previous agreement expired.
On 29 December 2025, PEJ announced it had signed an amendment to the EDA with the Westinghouse-Bechtel Consortium. The amended scope of the agreement provides for the continuation of design works covering the nuclear island, turbine island, and the balance of plant, as well as further in-depth geological survey campaigns. This, it said, allows it to maintain the project schedule by advancing the power plant design and continuing field works, while simultaneously conducting negotiations and finalising the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract, “which will ultimately determine our cooperation with the Westinghouse-Bechtel Consortium”.
Last week, the Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium and PEJ announced they had agreed the main commercial and legal terms of the EPC contract, and plan to complete the contract negotiation process by the end of this year.
On 31 March this year, PEJ submitted an application to the President of Poland’s National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA) for a construction permit.
PEJ said it expects to pour first concrete for the plant’s first unit in the fourth quarter of 2028. In order to meet this schedule, the company must obtain both a construction permit from the PAA and a building permit from the Pomeranian Voivode. PEJ said it plans to submit a building permit application in 2027.
Construction of each reactor is expected to take about seven years. This will be followed by approximately one year of testing and commissioning. The aim is for the first reactor to begin commercial operation in 2036, the second in 2037, and the third in 2038.
