Poland awarded a contract to build its first nuclear power plant to a U.S. bid as the country seeks to burn less coal and increase its energy independence.
The government in Warsaw chose Westinghouse for the nuclear project, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said late Friday in a tweet praising the U.S. company’s “reliable, safe technology.”
“A strong Poland-U.S. alliance guarantees the success of our joint initiatives,” Morawiecki said.
Westinghouse reportedly beat out France’s EDF and South Korean state-run company Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power for the contract.
Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller said on Saturday that the administration would adopt a decision at a meeting on Wednesday that will launch environmental approval and investment procedures, the Associated Press reported. Mueller said the nuclear plant in northern Poland would require improving infrastructure in the area, including roads.
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm welcomed Warsaw’s decision, calling it a “huge step in strengthening our relationship with Poland for future generations to come.”
“This announcement also sends a clear message to Russia: We will not let them weaponize energy any longer,” Granholm said in a tweet. “The West will stand together against this unprovoked aggression, while also diversifying energy supply chains and bolstering climate cooperation.”
Jones Hayden
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