Wednesday, 29 January 2025
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Signed also by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the agreement calls for cooperation in, among other things, the provision of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes related to research, nuclear safety or the use of nuclear materials and the implementation of research and development projects. It also provides for technical training and the exchange of specialists and experts.
“By working together to advance nuclear technology, Canada and Poland are pushing innovation forward and accelerating energy security,” Trudeau said. “Once in force, the newly signed Canada-Poland Nuclear Cooperation Agreement will promote Canadian innovators, create good-paying jobs, and combine Polish and Canadian expertise in the sector. It’s a testament to Canada’s commitment to building a more secure future, alongside our closest allies.”
He noted that the agreement complements other initiatives to strengthen Canada and Poland’s bilateral relationship, including the General Security of Information Agreement (GSOIA), which was signed earlier this month. Once implemented, the GSOIA will enhance information sharing between Canada and Poland and create business opportunities for companies in industries such as defence, security, aerospace, marine, and nuclear.
“Once in force, the agreement will deepen ties between Canadian and Polish energy sectors, enabling Canadian companies to apply their nuclear expertise to support Poland’s energy transition and enhance energy security for Poland and the region,” he said. “It will create good well-paying jobs and opportunities for people on both sides of the Atlantic, while reinforcing Canada and Poland’s shared commitment to nuclear co-operation, non-proliferation, safety, and security.”
In November 2022, the then Polish government selected the 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 2023 by Westinghouse, Bechtel and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (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.
Canada’s Cameco, one of world’s largest providers of nuclear fuel, acquired Westinghouse in 2023 in a strategic partnership with Brookfield Asset Management and its affiliate Brookfield Renewable Partners and institutional partners.
“The main supplier of technology for our first nuclear power plant, which we are just starting to build, is Westinghouse,” Tusk noted. “It is owned by Canadian companies, which further strengthens our cooperation. This agreement is strategic for us.”
In December, PEJ announced it had received a letter of intent from Export Development Canada, for up to CAD2.02 billion (USD1.45 billion) to potentially support Poland’s first nuclear power plant project. The letter of intent with Export Development Canada – a Canadian Crown corporation – is in support of the sale of goods and services by Canadian suppliers.
