Over 47% of Poles in a survey by the portal Money.pl opposed plans to build a nuclear power plant in Poland. According to latest government reports a nuclear plant will not be built in Poland before 2020.
42% were in favour of a nuclear plant, the remainder could not say, Money.pl wrote.
Seventy-three percent of the plant supporters had nothing against its siting within 100 kilometres of their place of residence, 18 percent did not want a nuclear plant in their vicinity.
According to experts the main argument for a nuclear plant in Poland is low-cost energy. A 2003 report by Finnish scientists quoted by Money.pl states that uranium, which is most frequently used in nuclear reactors, constitutes only 13% of nuclear energy costs (respectively 40% and 75% in coal- and gas-fuelled plants.
"Today these disproportions are even bigger owing to the near doubling of energy coal prices", Money.pl wrote in its report.
The report authors note that alongside social reluctance costs were the biggest hindrance in the way of a Polish nuclear plant. The construction of a 16,00MW plant would entail at least € 3 billion.
The Money.pl report coincides with Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak’s presentation of Poland’s energy policy until 2030. According to Pawlak the nuclear plant project is important in light of necessary greenhouse emission reductions, nonetheless his document mentions no plans to build such a plant in Poland.