Thursday, 13 March 2025
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The survey – which the Polish Economic Institute (Polski Instytut Ekonomiczny, PIE) carried out in partnership with Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowych (PEJ) and the National Economy Bank (Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, BGK) – questioned more than 100 Polish companies, including more than 30% of the sample from the Pomeranian Voivodeship, where the project of the first Polish nuclear power plant is being implemented. The study included companies from the construction sector (30%), engineering and construction (28%) and machinery (22%).
Most of the surveyed companies have experience in large infrastructure projects, of which almost half (45%) have worked on the construction of gas or coal-fired power plants, and almost one-third (29%) have experience in nuclear energy. The study also showed that as many as three-quarters of Polish companies have experience in implementing at least one project in the energy sector.
According to , domestic entrepreneurs estimate that the level of local content in Polish nuclear investment may amount to about 40%, with entrepreneurs experienced in the nuclear industry showing less optimism in this respect. Most of the surveyed entities interested in the first nuclear investment express their willingness to continue their activities in the nuclear industry in Poland and abroad. At the same time, the surveyed companies are optimistic about further nuclear investments, with 84% of them believing that the share of Polish companies in such projects will increase.
The factors most frequently mentioned among those attracting domestic entrepreneurs to the Polish nuclear project included the opportunity to enter the nuclear energy sector, the possibility of developing and increasing the scale of operations, increasing employee competences and obtaining valuable references, as well as the ambitious and demanding nature of the project.
The companies surveyed are also aware of possible difficulties in joining the project. They mainly indicate a lack of financial support, a competence gap, too high investment requirements and difficulty in recruiting suitably qualified employees.
In the report, PIE points out the challenges related to increasing the participation of Polish companies, including the lack of possibility to include provisions in contracts with contractors and suppliers that favour companies based on their country of origin. Such a practice is prohibited under both international and EU regulations, it notes.
The PIE report also shows that Polish companies need support in the process of obtaining certification and developing competences in order to effectively participate in investments. 36% of surveyed companies do not have a single certificate, important from the perspective of the possibility of implementing services and products for the nuclear sector.
The study puts forward a number of recommendations, including the establishment of an entity representing Polish entrepreneurs planning to participate in the supply chains of nuclear projects abroad; improving the recognition of support programmes for Polish entrepreneurs within the nuclear sector; improving the security and cybersecurity of enterprises; and collecting the competences of local, regional and national entities and other activities as part of educating the market.
“The construction of the first Polish nuclear power plant is one of the most important infrastructure investments in the history of Poland since 1989,” said Michał Kopertowski, Director of PEJ’s Purchasing Division. “Our investment is not only securing the supply of stable and clean electricity, but also has a huge impact on the development of the region and the national economy, which is why the largest possible participation of Polish companies in the implementation of this investment is crucial for us. Thanks to this, domestic companies will be able to develop their competences, increase competitiveness and join the global supply chains for the nuclear sector.”
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. An agreement setting a plan for the delivery of the plant was signed in May last year by Westinghouse, Bechtel and PEJ – a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by Poland’s State Treasury. The Ministry of Climate and Environment in July issued a decision-in-principle for PEJ to construct the plant. The aim is for Poland’s first AP1000 reactor to enter commercial operation in 2033.
