The INDUSTRIA NUCLEAR DAYS 2024 conference is behind us! On March 11 and 12, 2024, we invited over 40 experts and almost 200 participants: institutions and companies interested in the future of nuclear energy to the European Center for Geological Education in Korzecko near Kielce.
The event was attended by, among others, representatives of Rolls-Royce SMR, the British investment fund Chiltern Vital Group, the Finnish nuclear power plant operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj, the Finnish research institution VTT, the Dutch ULC-Energy B.V. and many key players in the Polish industrial and energy sectors. The conference was hosted by a well-known energy and climate journalist, Michał Niewiadomski, founder of the Energy Club and co-creator of the decalogue of the Polish energy transformation.
SUMMARY – WHAT HAPPENED DURING INDUSTRIA NUCLEAR DAYS?
The topics we discussed during the conference covered a wide range of issues, ranging from social acceptance of nuclear energy, through nuclear safety, to the licensing process of nuclear power plants in Poland. Moreover, we discussed the benefits resulting from the implementation of the SMR project in Poland, the development of the Świętokrzyskie region in connection with the planned investment in nuclear energy and the issues of staff training for this sector. All 11 panels that took place thoroughly covered the topic, as evidenced by the opinions of our participants.
Another part of Industria Nuclear Days was the signing of a letter of intent regarding cooperation in the implementation of SMR with Chiltern Vital Group, which took place at the Warsaw headquarters of the Industrial Development Agency.
To sum up, our INDUSTRIA NUCLEAR DAYS 2024 conference turned out to be not only a place for the exchange of knowledge and experiences, but also a big step towards building the future of nuclear energy in Poland and the country’s energy security.
The event culminated in the signing of an agreement with ULC-Energy, together with Topsoe A/S and Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd., initiating the “Rose” project to investigate the feasibility and relative economics of producing hydrogen from nuclear energy compared to the production of green hydrogen. Today, under the signed agreement, ŚGP Industria becomes a project partner able to use the research results carried out as part of the project. The “Rose” project is another path leading to the achievement of the Company’s goals of developing zero-emission energy sources.
OPINIONS ABOUT THE EVENT:
Rafał Pietrzak, Key Account Director, Hitachi Energy Poland Sp. z o. o.
“Thank you for the invitation. From my perspective, I assess what is happening during Industria Nuclear Days very positively. Firstly, the initiative allowed for talks with potential suppliers and users as well as the entire local community. Secondly, it is a well-prepared conference showing development prospects and Industry’s approach to the nuclear energy implementation project. I attend many events related to nuclear energy, so summarizing what happened over the last two days, I rate this event very well. Great organization, interesting lectures, a lot of open discussions, a lot of time for networking, which is very important. I also congratulate the organizer and look forward to more.”
EXPERTS’ STATEMENTS:
“According to the unanimous opinion, before the SMR modular reactor is built in Poland, it will first appear in Great Britain. The initial launch date of SMRs in Poland, due to the complexity of the activities and the innovation of the initiative as well as environmental regulations, is 2036. However, for it to be implemented, we must start the project today. At least 6 years are needed for administrative procedures necessary to start construction in Poland. At the same time, we must build a supply chain with the participation of Polish companies.” – said Szczepan Ruman, President of the Management Board of Industria.
“Our fund has been working with Rolls-Royce for two years, looking for opportunities to build this company’s SMR for the needs of industrial complexes, not only in Great Britain, but also for foreign clients. The main task of CVG is to create conditions for the construction of SMR, primarily to find potential customers within local industrial centers. That is why we decided to cooperate also with Industria.” – explained the President of Chiltern Vital Group, Chris Turner.
“SMR is subject to the same regulatory processes as large nuclear power. In the first stage, the company will have to conduct specialized environmental tests at the planned location of the reactor. The research will concern seismics, tectonics and hydrogeology of the area. In our case, we assume that such research will last approximately three years. After them, we will know whether a given location will be suitable for building an SMR.” – explained Sławomir Malara, deputy director of the SMR project at Świętokrzyska Grupa Przemysłowa Industria.
“More than 80 SMR technologies are being developed around the world. The power and scope of use of small nuclear power plants can be very different – from powering a specific production plant to securing the energy needs of an entire city or region. She added that SMR is a technology that can almost completely eliminate carbon dioxide from the air and provide clean, emission-free energy, and thus reduce, for example, the problem of smog. In addition, local governments in which the modular SMR installation will be installed can expect budget revenues of millions of dollars from taxes and infrastructure modernization. Many actions are needed to create the first SMR in Poland, including: acquiring qualified engineering staff and, above all, obtaining social acceptance for such investments.” – added Katarzyna Zasadni – Women in Nuclear Polska, chief engineer at the Dutch PALLA nuclear project.
“In the 1980s, more than 50% of Finns were against the construction of nuclear power plants, and in 2018 about 20% were against investing in this type of projects. Currently, it is only 6% of society. The Russian attack on Ukraine and the crisis of 2022 and 2023 made people understand how the energy market works and that energy independence is crucial to security. In April last year, the largest nuclear reactor in Europe was launched at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant on the west coast of Finland. After connecting the new unit, the power plant supplies approximately 30% of the country’s energy, of which approximately 14% is generated by the new reactor.” – added Juha Poikola from the Finnish nuclear energy company, TVO.
