Construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant continues without obstacles – the court rejects the motion to suspend the environmental decision.

The Provincial Administrative Court (WSA) in Warsaw has rejected the motion to suspend the decision issued by the General Director for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ) on 16 January 2025 regarding the environmental conditions for the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant. The ruling means that the project can continue without additional legal barriers. The court found no grounds to conclude that the administrative decision violates environmental protection regulations or threatens protected areas.

“This is further evidence that the project has solid foundations—both substantively and legally—and that its implementation is being carried out with the utmost diligence,” the company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, responsible for the project, emphasized in its statement.

Environmental decision: extensive analysis, concrete conclusions

The investor’s actions remain based on the environmental decision originally issued in 2023, later partially modified and reaffirmed by GDOŚ in January 2025. It is a document of more than 550 pages, incorporating detailed analyses of the planned project’s impact on all key environmental components.

According to GDOŚ, the construction and operation of the power plant—provided that specific technical, organizational and environmental conditions are met—will not have a significant negative impact on the environment. This includes Natura 2000 areas, natural habitats, the quality of groundwater and surface waters (including the Baltic Sea), as well as emissions of chemical and radioactive substances into air, soil and water.

Nuclear power without environmental harm

The GDOŚ decision clearly states that the nuclear project will not undermine the ecological integrity of protected areas. Moreover, it will not cause exceedances of permissible gas and dust emission limits, nor radioactive emissions into the environment. These key findings formed the basis for rejecting the motion to suspend the decision.

As a result, Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe can continue subsequent stages of project preparation—from design work and planning of accompanying infrastructure to construction.

A project of strategic importance

Poland’s first nuclear power plant is to be built in Pomerania. The investor and future operator is Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe. The project involves the Westinghouse–Bechtel consortium, selected by the previous government as the technology and execution partner.

According to the schedule presented by the Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, the so‑called “first nuclear concrete” for the reactor is to be poured in 2028. Commercial operation of the first unit is planned for 2036, with the next two units scheduled for 2037 and 2038 respectively.

Energy of the future getting closer

Poland’s nuclear programme is a key pillar of the country’s energy transition, aimed at decarbonizing the economy and ensuring national energy security. In light of rising energy demand and the need to move away from fossil fuels, nuclear power is expected to serve as a stable complement to renewable sources, whose output depends on weather conditions.

The WSA ruling strengthens the project’s position as an undertaking aligned with both public and environmental interest. It opens the way for the start of a crucial phase—the construction of nuclear infrastructure in Poland.

Source: biznesalert.pl