Rolls-Royce gets Poland's backing to drive forward nuclear power plants plan

A general view of Gdansk seen from the tower of St. Mary's Church, in Gdansk, Poland (FILE) - Copyright ALIK KEPLICZ/2011 AP

By Angela Barnes

Published on 16/05/2024 - 08:49

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The Polish government is supporting a plan from Rolls-Royce to build nuclear power plants in the country.

Rolls-Royce SMR said in a statement that it welcomed the announcement by Polish industrial group, Industria, to progress the approval of an application for a Decision Principle to build Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) power plants in Poland.

"A Decision in Principle is the first step towards deployment and requires opinions from several separate government departments. Polish Minister of Climate and Environment, Ms. Paulina Hennig-Kloska, has returned the final opinion required - following confirmation by the Polish Minister of State Assets, the Chief of the Polish Internal Security Agency and Poland's Chief Geologist - that the investment would have a 'positive impact'.

"The Polish Minister of Climate and Environment now has all the documentation required to issue a Decision in Principle to deploy Rolls-Royce SMRs in Poland," the Rolls-Royce statement said.

Environment Minister, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, said the investment would be in the public interest and align with Poland's energy and climate policies. Several other government agencies had already voiced support, saying the Rolls-Royce plants would have a positive impact.

The decision allows Rolls-Royce to advance commercial and technical talks on deploying its SMR power plants in Poland. Each self-contained factory-built unit can power a million homes for over 60 years with low-carbon energy.

Alan Woods, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Director of Strategy and Business Development, also welcomed the move.

“We are delighted the Polish Government has concluded that the deployment of our unique 'factory-built' nuclear power plants would have a positive impact for the country, and we look forward to a Decision in Principle to deploy Rolls-Royce SMRs in Poland."

Rolls-Royce SMR is currently on track to complete Step 2 of Generic Design Assessment by the UK nuclear industry's independent regulators this summer, confirming Rolls-Royce SMR's lead over competitors in Europe.

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