Bechtel will oversee development of Poland’s first nuclear power plant, according to a press release this month from Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), the Polish company behind the project
PEJ said in an Aug. 6 press release it handed over the leading role to Bechtel, its general contractor, as construction for the site begins. In this role, Bechtel will oversee construction work, coordinate with other contractors, such as Budimex, and subcontractors and supervise all other activity at the Choczewo, Poland site, Bechtel said in its Aug. 7 press release.
According to the release, the initial groundwork across the 740-acre property will include leveling the site, improving the drainage systems and working on temporary roads that will stretch about 16 kilometers or nearly 10 miles. This preliminary groundwork will also support additional facilities, such as fuel storage and workshops, PEJ added.
PEJ said that these activities under the permit are scheduled to take place between now and the first quarter of 2029.
After the United States and Poland agreed to a civil nuclear energy deal, Westinghouse, Bechtel and PEJ teamed up to build three AP 1000 reactors in Poland, with hopes of the first commercial reactor to be online by the mid 2030s. Bechtel and Westinghouse previously worked together to bring Vogtle Units 3 and 4, AP1000 reactors, in Georgia online and intend to bring that experience over to Poland.