Poland announced in 2020 a long term plan for phasing out coal by 2049.

The industry now relies on government subsidies, taking nearly all of the annual €1.6 billion government energy sector support.

• Poland accounts for 30% of the European Union’s annual consumption of coal
• As of 2020, coal powered 74% of Poland’s electricity generation
• In September 2020, the government and mining union agreed a plan to phase out coal by 2049

While wind power contributes about 9% of energy generation in Poland, new plans to replace coal – eye nuclear power.

Poland wants to build a few GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 SMRs – small water cooled reactors near the shores of the Baltic Sea – in 460 km distance to the German capitol, Berlin.

Nuclear energy creates nuclear waste and the danger of a possible accident. An accident has the potential to devastate nearby regions, particular accessible through the Ocean, rivers or by air.

Coastal water-cooled Nuclear Power Plants in Poland with Climate Change

The following impacts may affect the environment, the functionality and the security of Poland’s nuclear reactors.

• The water temperature at the Baltic Sea coast
• Sea level rise of ~90 centimeters by 2100.
• The Baltic Sea Ocean dead zones
• Thermal Water Pollution from Nuclear Power Plants
• Coastal erosion

• Example of nuclear plants being shutdown due to heatwaves.
• Example of nuclear cooling water affecting the Ocean.

Related

• False solution: Nuclear power is not ‘low carbon’
• Small modular reactor
• Coastal erosion Poland
• Polens AKW-Pläne machen Deutschland Sorgen
• Polen plant Atomkraftwerke nahe Ostsee

Teaser image via NRC.