On Monday, October 19, earthworks began, carried out by Budimex on behalf of the American company Bechtel. The works cover an area of over 330 hectares.
Today, heavy equipment is operating in three of seven designated areas. But this is just the beginning.
Currently, we have about 40 Budimex machines collected here, and ultimately there will be almost 120 machines - says Marek Woszczyk, president of Polish Nuclear Power Plants, to RMF FM.
The task seems simple: to prepare a level area for future facilities. However, the scale of the undertaking is enormous.
To put it simply, the area simply has to be even. This means that all hills, depressions and valleys must disappear - explains Leszek Hołda, president of Bechtel Polska.
Land is taken from some places and transported to others. In the first stage, over two million cubic meters of soil need to be moved.
It would be possible to build several Kościuszko Mounds - says Marek Woszczyk.
This is not the end. According to the president of PEJ, after taking into account subsequent stages, including deep excavations and cooling system tunnels, the total amount of earth moved may reach 6 to 7 million cubic meters. The current leveling works are scheduled to be completed at the turn of April and May next year.
Deep excavations for reactors. Application in October
What is happening now in Lubiatów-Kopalina is formally a preparatory stage. It does not yet mean that the actual construction of nuclear units has begun. However, the investor wants to move to the next stage.
Before the end of October, Polish Nuclear Power Plants intend to apply to the Pomeranian Voivode for consent to preliminary construction works.
Unlike this stage, which you can see behind me, these will be deep excavations for the future foundations of the reactors, announces Marek Woszczyk. The company hopes to obtain approval by mid-2027. It would allow much more advanced work to begin in the places where the three reactors will be built.
A nuclear power plant requires not only appropriate preparation of the ground, but also detailed design of foundations, roads, technical installations and the entire construction base. In addition, there are rigorous administrative procedures related to nuclear safety.
Today, formally, these are preparatory works, although de facto we are actually starting construction. Without this, this power plant will not be built, so this stage is also necessary - explains the president of PEJ.
The investor will have to wait until 2028 to obtain a permit from the National Atomic Energy Agency. Then you will need the appropriate building permit issued by the Pomeranian Voivode. The first nuclear concrete is scheduled to be poured at the end of 2028.
Dozens of kilometers of drilling. They check what is hidden underground
In addition to heavy earthworks equipment, specialized drilling rigs operate on the site of the future power plant. Eight to twelve of them operate at the same time.
The first stage of soil research for the reactors themselves has already been completed. Wells were then drilled with a total length of approximately 22 kilometers. Now the next stage is underway, checking the ground for the remaining buildings and power plant installations.
Drilling rigs usually go to depths of 40 to 70 meters. From the samples taken, engineers determine the geological structure of the area and check what loads the soil can bear.
During the first phase of geological research, 10,000 samples were collected, of which 7,000 were sent to the laboratory - says Leszek Hołda.
As he explains, the results of these analyzes will be used to design foundations for reactors.
The structure of the foundation must reflect the structure of the ground and this is the basic construction theory - emphasizes the president of Bechtel Polska. I don't think anyone can imagine the risks or surprises involved in building a nuclear power plant, he adds.
Approximately 15 more kilometers of drilling are planned for the current stage. Research is carried out in parallel with earthworks.
Steel "spider" in the Baltic Sea. Huge tunnels will be created
Preparations for the construction of the power plant can also be observed from the popular beach in Lubiatów. Unusual research platforms operate on the water. One of them, equipped with steel supports, looks like a huge spider.
This platform allows you to move and move freely, which is necessary when work is carried out very close to the shore - explains Michał Szewczyk, vice-president of Polish Nuclear Power Plants.
The research is being carried out in connection with the planned cooling system for the power plant, which is to use water from the Baltic Sea. Three tunnels will be built under the seabed: two for water intake and one for water drainage. Two will be 6 meters in diameter, one will be 12 meters. These are really very powerful pipelines, emphasizes Michał Szewczyk. For comparison, it indicates that 12 meters is a diameter comparable to the road tunnel under Martwa Wisła in Gdańsk.
The results of seabed research will be needed for detailed design of the tunnels' route and structure.
Ten thousand workers and a town next to the power plant
At the current stage, approximately 150 people are working on earthworks. However, in the following years employment will be much greater. According to Polish Nuclear Power Plants, over ten thousand people may work on the investment site during the peak construction period.
Special housing facilities will be created for some of them. Unihouse is to prepare a modular town for a thousand employees. It is not only a place to stay and live, but generally a whole mini-town right next to the construction site - says Marek Woszczyk.
One of the challenges will be finding the right number of qualified employees. Among others, electricians, welders, reinforcement workers, concrete workers and specialists responsible for quality control will be needed. The president of PEJ admits that the power plant will compete for employees with other large investments carried out in Poland, including the construction of offshore wind farms.
It cannot be completely ruled out that we will not have to use qualified workers from outside Poland, but we are trying to ensure that as much as possible comes from Poland, he emphasizes.
New roads and railways. Residents must expect difficulties
A new road is being built to connect the power plant with the S6 route. Railway connections will also be modernized and built. The entire accompanying infrastructure program is expected to cost approximately PLN 5 billion.
It covers, among others, approximately 150 kilometers of railway lines, including connections in the area of Łeba, Lębork, Sierakowice and Kartuzy. Ultimately, the new infrastructure is to help transport workers and materials, but residents must be prepared for difficulties during the works.
The investment is being built near Lubiatowo, Kopalin, Słajszewo and Biebrow, i.e. towns for which tourism is an important source of income. Driving towards the future power plant, you can still see posters with the slogan "No to nuclear" on some fences. Residents' opinions are divided. Some are counting on the development of infrastructure and jobs, others are afraid of the impact of many years of construction on the tourist character of the area.
The investor announces, among other things, a new road leading to the beach. This year, residents and tourists visiting Słajszewo and Biebowo were also provided with free melex rides. Building this potential, this multi-season or off-season tourism, cannot destroy this seasonal tourism. And this is our biggest challenge today, emphasizes Michał Szewczyk.
It is not yet known how the construction will affect the number of visitors and the activities of local entrepreneurs in the following seasons.
Important contract still unsigned. The date of the first reactor remains unchanged
Despite the commencement of large earthworks, the investor still has important decisions to make.
One of them is the completion of negotiations of the main EPC contract with the American consortium of Westinghouse and Bechtel. This is a document specifying the rules for implementing a key part of the investment.
The contractor would like to complete the negotiations in 2026.
According to the current schedule, the first reactor of the power plant in Lubiatów-Kopalina is scheduled to start operating in 2036, the second one a year later, and the third one in 2038.
