"Die Welt": Poland is betting on nuclear energy

The German newspaper writes about plans to develop nuclear energy in Poland

Poland is accelerating the transition to nuclear power and may soon be the European technological leader in Europe - writes the German daily "Die Welt".

The new coalition government does not question the decision to expand nuclear energy in Poland. According to "Die Welt", "there is a consensus on the Polish political scene that switching to nuclear energy is the only way to satisfy the growing energy hunger in the country and at the same time meet the requirements of the EU's climate policy." This was the approach of both the PiS government and now Donald Tusk's cabinet.

Referring to the shutdown of the last nuclear power plants in Germany in 2023, a journalist from "Die Welt" estimated that "Germany will find itself between two countries in Europe that consider nuclear energy to be a key technology - France, the traditional nuclear power in the West, and now Poland, which will re-evaluate nuclear energy.

The German newspaper points out that the "Polish turn in nuclear energy" includes not only the construction of large power plants, but also small modular reactors (SMRs). He writes that over a hundred plans to create SMR reactors have already been submitted. "This makes Poland a European leader, although the construction of SMR reactors is also planned in France, the Czech Republic and other EU countries," writes "Die Welt".

The daily said SMR reactor technology is "part of the nuclear renaissance." "It is gaining momentum since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis in the EU - from North America to Europe and East Asia," he adds.

In Poland, writes "Die Welt", "we can even talk about euphoria." “According to surveys, 60 percent Poles are in favor of building SMR reactors, and 75 percent generally supports the development of nuclear energy.”