Poland approves nuclear energy program targeting up to 9 GW as storage costs fall

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3 days · 5 summary articles
Poland’s government has accelerated its energy transition, approving an updated nuclear power program targeting up to 9 GW of new capacity while emphasizing storage and cost pressures as critical to the shift.
Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka announced during the Energy Days conference in Katowice that the Council of Ministers adopted the Program for Polish Nuclear Energy, which includes both large-scale reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs). Motyka stated that Poland aims to develop SMRs alongside other technologies, with no current plans for three large-scale nuclear plants. He added that the government would prioritize projects offering the lowest energy costs, noting that storage technology costs are dropping rapidly .
The transition faces financial and structural challenges. Wanda Buk, an advisor to the president, highlighted that distribution companies currently earn returns of 9 to 13 percent on invested capital, complicating efforts to lower consumer bills. The government has also proposed raising the corporate income tax for energy companies to 30 percent starting in 2027, which the Polish Society for Electricity Transmission and Distribution estimates could reduce operators’ investment capacity by 1.8 billion złoty, equivalent to 60 transformer stations .
Industry experts at Energy Days stressed that large-scale energy storage must replace decommissioned conventional plants to maintain grid stability. Konrad Purchała, vice president of Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne, warned that ignoring commercial balancing could lead to significant financial losses as the traditional "production follows demand" model becomes obsolete .
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