National Atomic Energy Agency

– We are not only continuing but also strengthening our cooperation with the American nuclear regulatory authority, which has been in place for 13 years,” said President of the National Atomic Energy Agency Andrzej Głowacki. – The NRC is a very important partner for us, even more so in the context of the program to build Poland's first nuclear power plant, for which American technology – the AP1000-type reactor, designed by Westinghouse Electric Company – has just been selected. This cooperation is expected to facilitate the licensing and oversight process for the Polish regulatory authority. The NRC has vast experience in this field and we want to take advantage of this fact –  concluded President Glowacki.

The arrangement, signed on Thursday, June 15, provides for cooperation between the PAA and the NRC in the following areas:

• exchange of technical information,
• activities related to new technologies such as advanced reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs),
• nuclear safety research,
• training and staff participation in individual projects.

The most important activities within the framework of further Polish-American cooperation are focused on trainings and exchange of technical information. The PAA and the NRC will continue on-the-job trainings, lasting several months, for Polish experts in the United States. Last year, 12 employees of the Agency and the NRC took part in this form of training. Trainees could learn about the process of licensing, oversight and construction of a nuclear reactor. Last year, trainees were able to observe commissioning tests of Vogtle Nuclear Units 3 and 4. These units have reactors of the same technology as the one which will be used in Poland. A workshop on nuclear safety policy and the licensing process is also planned.

The PAA will also benefit from the experience of its US partner in the area of safety analysis, or the preparation of a computational model for the AP1000 reactor.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was created as an independent agency by the U.S. Congress in 1974 to ensure the safe use of nuclear energy for civilian purposes while protecting people and the environment. The NRC provides oversight and control of nuclear power plants and other uses of ionizing radiation, such as in nuclear medicine, through licensing, inspections and enforcement of safety requirements. There are currently 93 nuclear reactors operating in the United States, which are used to generate electricity.