IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi handed over the final report of Poland’s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review mission during last week’s 68th IAEA General Conference. The mission, conducted in April 2024, concluded that Poland is continuing to make progress towards adding nuclear power to its energy mix as the country aims to transition away from coal power and deploy its first nuclear power plant by the mid-2030s.
Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) missions assess a country’s readiness to introduce nuclear power according to an evaluation methodology that examines their status in addressing the 19 infrastructure issues identified in the IAEA Milestones Approach. The method includes three phases, each with an associated milestone, and examines issues including human resource development, regulatory framework and radioactive waste management. The mission concerned Poland’s work on Phase 2 of the Milestones Approach, which involves preparatory work for the contracting and construction of a nuclear power plant after a policy decision has been taken.
The report handover took place in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the General Conference, during which the Director General reiterated the IAEA’s commitment to supporting Poland in introducing nuclear power.
“Poland is taking important steps to prepare for the safe and secure introduction of nuclear power,” Mr Grossi said, adding that the IAEA was a tried and tested asset for countries introducing nuclear power for the first time. “It is up to the Member State to engage us fully and take advantage of this huge asset on their hands. I am very glad that Poland is doing this, and we look forward to continuing this partnership in support of the next phases of Poland’s transition to a more diverse, low-carbon energy mix.”
The mission team, comprised of seven Agency staff members as well as three external experts, from Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, made five recommendations and seven suggestions on how Poland could bolster their nuclear power infrastructure. Their observations included that Poland may benefit from further reviewing its legal and regulatory framework and focusing on completing the preparatory work for contracting and construction. The mission report also contains seven good practices, including stakeholder engagement, that may benefit other nuclear newcomers.
Poland, which signed an agreement with Westinghouse in 2022 to construct three AP1000 reactors, is looking to nuclear power to meet its climate change objectives and strengthen energy security. Minister of Industry Marzena Czarnecka, whose office is now responsible for the overall coordination of Poland’s nuclear power programme, welcomed the findings of the report.
“The results of the second INIR mission will support and guide the further strengthening of nuclear infrastructure for the development of our nuclear power programme,” said Marzena Czarnecka, Poland’s Minister of Industry. “The exchange of views, participation in developing the best international standards and the opportunity to learn about the experiences of other countries are all invaluable to Poland.” Poland recognizes the great value of both multilateral and bilateral cooperation with the IAEA in the field of nuclear energy, she added. Poland and the IAEA will work together to update the country’s Integrated Work Plan based on the findings detailed in the mission report and ensure that IAEA support is aligned with the current needs of Poland’s nuclear power programme.
The mission report is available here.
About INIR Missions
INIR missions are based on the IAEA Milestones Approach, with its 19 infrastructure issues, three phases (consider, prepare and construct) and three milestones (decide, contract and commission/operate). INIR missions enable IAEA Member State representatives to have in-depth discussions with international experts about experiences and best practices in different countries.
In developing its recommendations, the INIR team considers the comments made by the relevant national organizations. Implementation of any of the team's recommendations and suggestions is at the discretion of the Member State requesting the mission. The results of the INIR mission are expected to help the Member State develop an action plan to fill any gaps, which in turn will help the development of the national nuclear infrastructure. INIR follow-up missions assess the implementation of the recommendations and suggestions provided during the main mission.
