As the EU's most coal-dependent major producer, Poland faces significant emission reduction pressure. Data shows that from Nov 2024 to Oct 2025, 52.3% of its electricity came from coal, with fossil fuels accounting for two-thirds of total consumption. To meet commitments under the Paris Agreement and European Green Deal, Poland is advancing renewable energy and nuclear power to cut fossil fuel reliance while ensuring energy security.
On Dec 9 local time, Polish PM Donald Tusk announced the EU's approval for Poland's first nuclear power plant, along with an initial 4 billion zlotys fund allocation. The European Commission has confirmed the project's compliance with EU state aid rules, marking its official substantive launch. This is a key step for Poland to meet its 2030 goals: coal power below 56%, renewable energy above 23%, and 30% greenhouse gas emission cuts.
The project, estimated at 192 billion zlotys , will see the Polish government contribute 14 billion euros , with the first 4.6 billion zlotys tranche to be allocated in Dec 2025. Located in Choczewo, northern Poland near the Baltic Sea, it is a core infrastructure for the country's energy transition.
Led by state-owned Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), the project will receive up to 60.2 billion zlotys in public funding by 2030 under a Feb 2025 legal amendment. "The project can start as early as Dec this year," Tusk noted.
Cooperating with U.S.-based Westinghouse and Bechtel, the plant will have three AP1000 reactors (1,250MW each) built in three phases. First-unit nuclear island concrete pouring starts in 2028; it is set to supply power in 2036, with the third unit operational by 2038.
In early Oct 2025, PEJ Vice President Piotr Piela stated that ~30 global commercial banks have initially expressed interest in financing, boosting market confidence. By 2040, the plant is projected to have an 88.5% annual utilization rate, ensuring stable power supply for Poland and its industrial sector for decades.
Wojciech Wrochna, Polish Deputy Climate Minister and Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, called the project a strategic move to enhance energy autonomy and cut emissions. "Nuclear power ensures energy security, grid stability and is clean—factors fully considered by the EU. It operates continuously at high load with low costs," he added.