The Polish ministry of climate and the environment said the aim is to prepare local firms for the project as early as possible and help them develop their global supply chains.
Poland wants to provide support for companies that need to obtain expensive certifications, traditionally needed in the nuclear sector. It also wants to support Polish firms with access to global markets and help develop local industrial clusters and technology transfers.
In November 2021, Andrzej Sidło, chief expert for industry at the Polish ministry of climate and the environment, told a webinar that Warsaw is expecting 40% local content in the construction of the first nuclear reactor unit, expected to be online in 2033.
He said one of the weak spots for Polish firms entering the nuclear market is certification, which can be costly and could become a barrier for some companies. The ministry has been analysing the state of local industry with regards to the nuclear sector and has “a comprehensive picture of what exists, what is to be done, and what are some of the entry barriers”.
Poland wants to build from 6,000 to 9,000 MW of installed nuclear capacity based on proven, large-scale, pressurised water nuclear reactors, and is expected to choose a technology vendor by the end of 2022. Commercial operation of a first unit in a proposed set of six is planned for 2033.
