The Polish government is set to review a bill aimed at streamlining the construction of nuclear power plants, introducing permits for preliminary construction work.
Government to Address Nuclear Plant Construction Bill
The Polish government is scheduled to discuss a draft amendment to the law concerning the streamlining of the nuclear power plant construction process, according to information on the Prime Minister’s Chancellery website.
The new regulations include provisions for permits for construction work related to preliminary building work.
Increased Efficiency for Nuclear Investments
According to information from the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the government will address a bill prepared by the government plenipotentiary for strategic energy infrastructure, amending the law on the preparation and implementation of investments in nuclear energy facilities and related investments, at its upcoming session.
Poland aims to increase the efficiency of nuclear investments.
Improving the Investment and Construction Process
The justification for the draft amendment states that it aims to improve the efficiency of the investment and construction process related to nuclear energy facilities, which is described as “extremely complex.” The draft proposes increasing the possibility of phasing investments in these facilities.
The goal is to allow for the execution of work that cannot function independently from other planned facilities or parts of nuclear energy facilities.
Addressing Delays in Nuclear Projects
The justification emphasizes that introducing legal solutions in this area will benefit the efficiency of the creation of nuclear energy facilities, including nuclear power plants, in Poland, which – as international experience shows – is prone to significant delays.
Utilizing Preparation Time for Preliminary Work
It was noted that the long period of preparation and acceptance of complete documentation necessary for the implementation of an entire nuclear energy facility can be used to carry out less complex work, to some extent independent of determining the technical details of the investment.
It was emphasized that technical details will be refined or approved in the administrative procedure at a later stage.
Details of the Project
The project also defines a catalog of work that the investor can perform, including surveying work, land leveling, site development with the construction of temporary construction facilities, technical and socio-office construction, and the construction of a temporary construction fence up to 2.5 m high.
This work, as indicated, can be carried out based on a separate decision, namely a permit for preparatory work. The project therefore introduces a building permit for preliminary construction work in the special nuclear law.
Streamlined Permitting Process
According to the justification, to the extent that the work covered by the investor’s application is not significant from the perspective of the nuclear regulatory authority (classified as not requiring the approval of the President of the State Atomic Agency (PAA), referred to as “basic preliminary construction work”), a single procedure will be conducted to issue a building permit for preliminary construction work by the administrative authority (voivode).
PAA Approval for Significant Work
In the case of work significant from the perspective of the nuclear regulatory authority (classified as requiring the approval of the President of the PAA, referred to as “qualified preliminary construction work”), the issuance of a building permit for preliminary construction work will have to be preceded by a decision to grant permission in the field of nuclear safety and radiological protection for the execution of preliminary construction work, issued by the President of the PAA.
Categorization of Preliminary Work
The project also indicates that some of the work that may be qualified as preliminary construction work will be directly specified in the law and assigned to the appropriate category: basic preliminary construction work or qualified preliminary construction work.
Investor Requests for PAA Opinions
In addition, the investor will be able to apply to the President of the PAA for an opinion on whether specific work not explicitly mentioned in the law is preliminary construction work, and if so, to which category – basic or qualified preliminary construction work – it should be assigned.
Safety and Radiological Protection Requirements
If the work is classified as qualified preliminary construction work – regardless of whether such classification is made in the law or in the opinion of the President of the PAA – obtaining a building permit for preliminary construction work will only be possible after receiving permission from the Agency President in the field of nuclear safety and radiological protection for the execution of preliminary construction work.
Regulation of Procedures
The project also regulates the procedure for applying for and obtaining a building permit for preliminary construction work and the opinions of the President of the PAA.