Small reactor, big deal – a step in evolution or revolution in Polish energy

Anna Gorczyca-Goraj

The European Commission presented a set of initiatives known as the European Green Deal [1], indicating the direction of development for member states, namely in 2050 Europe is to be the first climate-neutral continent. With this ambition the world of politics creates a vision of modern climate and industrial policy. Companies that consume a lot of energy need green electricity if they intend to make their production processes climate neutral. The energy transformation is also accompanied by the dynamic development of the power grid, both at the transmission and distribution levels. The networks are to constitute a central interface for energy applications that so far have been mainly based on fossil fuels, in transport, heating and industrial processes. Poland cannot base the energy production on coal any longer. It is necessary to diversify energy production, i.e. introduce various energy sources assuming their low emission. However, the EU’s climate policy is not the only motivation, it is also about purely economic reasons related to Polish mining. In order to meet the requirements and changes in the European energy sector, the development of nuclear energy in Poland is planned in both ways, i.e. the conventional and small modular reactors. The article presents the differences between these technologies, with an emphasis on the potential of small modular reactors (Small Modular Reactors, SMR).

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