17:50 21 August 2025
Koreans withdraw from negotiations to build nuclear power plant in Poland
The withdrawal of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) from Poland weakens Warsaw’s bargaining power in the nuclear program while strengthening the U.S. position. According to Maciej Lipka from Nuclear PL, Poland loses a strong contender for its second nuclear plant project, planned to begin in 2032. KHNP’s decision followed a settlement with Westinghouse over intellectual property rights and a shift in Poland’s policy away from state-led projects, leaving American Westinghouse-Bechtel as the main partner for the first plant in Choczewo (worth nearly PLN 200 billion, due in 2036).
South Korean media note KHNP also withdrew from bids in Sweden, Slovenia, and the Netherlands, while securing contracts in the Czech Republic. Critics in Seoul call the U.S.-Korean settlement “humiliating,” as it limits KHNP’s global reach.
In Poland, the move reshapes competition: besides Americans, only Canada’s AtkinsRéalis and France’s EDF remain, though EDF faces domestic constraints. Observers stress that Poland’s earlier lack of engagement in planning the second site may have influenced KHNP’s exit.
(pb.pl)
