(28 February 2020) – As Poland plans to build six nuclear plants, it has to inform its neighbours about potential environmental consequences. it has not yet told anyone, except Austria.
The construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant could begin in four years in the village of Zarnowiec, which lies on the Baltic Sea, just 150 kilometres away from the German border.
Berlin is outraged at this because an environmental impact assessment has not been carried out yet, although international law stipulates this. In the case of large construction projects, which include the building of nuclear power plants, for instance, states are typically obliged to carry out a transboundary environmental impact assessment.
The Polish government envisages the construction of six new nuclear power plants, two of which are to be built on the Baltic Sea coast at Żarnowiec or Kopalino. Between 2024 and 2043, nine gigawatts of nuclear power will be connected to the Polish power grid, and the power plants will have an estimated service lifespan of 60 to 80 years. According to the plan, the first unit could become operational as early as 2033.
Poland is not alone when it comes to banking on nuclear’s future: at the EU summit in December, the Czech Republic, Hungary and France had advocated including an extra clause in the final declaration allowing nuclear power to achieve climate neutrality in 2050. (EurActiv)