The proposed South Korea-backed nuclear power plant project in Poland, first announced in November 2022, has undergone significant restructuring, with Poland’s state utility PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna now assuming full control of the Patnow project after acquiring its partner’s stake. Earlier cooperation with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power has also slowed amid political and commercial uncertainties.

Initially conceived as a multi-reactor facility using Korea’s APR1400 technology in partnership with ZE PAK, the project formed part of a broader Poland-South Korea energy cooperation framework aimed at deploying up to four large-scale reactors. However, following the 2023 change in government and evolving national nuclear strategy, the project has effectively entered a reassessment phase. This is even as Poland continues to prioritize nuclear energy and SMRs as a core pillar of its transition away from coal.

The 2022 agreements were signed in Seoul. It happened just days after Poland announced that it had chosen the United States and Westinghouse to build the country’s first nuclear power plant in northern Poland.

Project fact sheet for Patnow Nuclear Power Project

Location: Patnow, central Poland

Technology: APR1400 reactors (South Korean design)

Capacity: Up to 5.6 GW

Reactor units: 4 units of 1,400 MW reactors

Original developers: PGE, ZE PAK, KHNP

Current structure: Majority control by PGE

Status: Under review / early-stage development

Strategic role: Second nuclear plant in Poland

Who is developing Patnow Nuclear Power Project?

Developer

• PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna

Original Partners

• ZE PAK
• Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power

Technology Provider

• KHNP (APR1400 reactor design)

Government Stakeholders

• Polish Ministry of State Assets
• South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

South Korea to build a nuclear power plant in Poland

Reported November 6, 2022 – Polish and South Korean officials have signed preliminary agreements to build a nuclear power plant in Poland. The aim is part of Poland’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and achieve energy security. Thus, South Korea’s participation in the Polish project is a means of reviving the country’s nuclear power industry. The country’s most recent export agreement was with the United Arab Emirates in 2009.