Move follows selection of Westinghouse for country’s first nuclear station Warsaw wants to have its first reactor unit running in 2033, with construction starting in 2026. Image courtesy Creative Commons. Poland’s National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA), the country’s nuclear regulator, plans by 2026 to double the number of staff supporting Warsaw’s ambitious nuclear power new-build programme, a spokesperson for the agency told NucNet.

The PAA wants to hire about 70 new employees for the Polish nuclear programme by 2026, which will considerably increase the number of staff from 60 today.

The agency said it will be looking for expertise spanning various technical and humanistic fields including knowledge of nuclear power, energy, geology, physics, automation, law and communication.

The spokesperson said about 20 people at the PAA are directly responsible for licensing and safety assessment, which are important tasks for reactor new-build preparations.

In November 2022, Poland chose US-based Westinghouse Electric Company for the construction of three AP1000 Gen III pressurised water reactor units at Lubiatowo-Kopalino in the northern province of Pomerania.

The three-unit plant will be the first under a 2020 government programme to deploy between 6,000 and 9,000 MW of nuclear power throughout the 2030s and by the early 2040s.

The first AP1000 unit is scheduled to be online in 2033 as set in Warsaw’s nuclear energy programme while the start of construction is scheduled for 2026.

The PAA told NucNet that a number of its employees have taken part in training programmes focused on the AP1000 reactor design in cooperation with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A 2018 project involved PAA staff in a simulation exercise which included the assessment of an AP1000 construction application and evaluation of related plant documentation.

Staff Take Part In Training At US NRC And Vogtle

The PAA also said its staff “periodically” take part in “on-the-job” training at overseas nuclear regulatory authorities, including the NRC, as well as the construction site of the Vogtle-3 and -4 nuclear plants which use the AP1000 technology.

Asked about regulatory approval deadlines, the PAA said regulations oblige the agency to issue a decision on the construction of a nuclear power plant within 24 months of receiving an application by the developer, including all required documentation. The agency said it has not yet received any such applications.

However, the PAA said it has received applications for a “general opinion” from the Orlen Synthos Green Energy joint venture for the BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) design, KGHM Polska Miedź for the Voygr SMR design, and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) on the verification of a safety assessment for the proposed first nuclear power station in Pomerania. The PEJ application was submitted before the choice of AP1000 for the project.

According to the PAA, the general opinion procedure is optional and is designed to increase the efficiency of the actual licensing process. Advantages for applicants include identification of legal and technical barriers to a given technology, confirmation that draft documentation will meet actual licensing expectations, and familiarisation of the regulator with a proposed technology with the aim of better preparing for its assessment.

The agency is obliged by law to issue a general opinion within six to nine months of receiving an application, which means its assessments of the Orlen Synthos and KGHM applications are to be expected by the end of April and that of PEJ by the end of June.