Ottawa is pitching the heavy-water, natural-uranium reactor as an alternative to Westinghouse’s AP1000, while Warsaw will choose its technology partner in 2027.
Canada formalized in February 2026 its proposal to build Poland’s second nuclear power plant using CANDU technology, the pressurized heavy-water reactor that runs on unenriched natural uranium. Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu described the talks as “very positive” during his visit to Warsaw, according to Bloomberg News.
The technology at stake: heavy water versus light water
The Canadian offer contrasts with the technology already selected for Poland’s first nuclear plant: three Westinghouse AP1000 light-water, enriched-uranium reactors to be built in Lubiatowo-Kopalino on the Baltic coast.
CANDU, by contrast, does not require fuel enrichment, which simplifies the supply chain and reduces reliance on foreign enrichment plants. Romania operates Europe’s only two commercially operating CANDU reactors, managed by AtkinsRealis.
The design also has an export track record beyond Canada, with operating units in Argentina, South Korea, China, and Pakistan, with typical capacities of around 600 MWe per unit in its most widely deployed versions.
The comprehensive offer: uranium, financing, and LNG
Canada is positioning itself as a reliable supplier of natural uranium and is exploring financing arrangements for the project, Sidhu said after meeting with Poland’s energy and finance ministers.
The North American country is one of the world’s largest uranium producers, concentrated in the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, supporting its supply-security argument against other bidders.
The proposal also includes supplying liquefied natural gas to Baltic Sea terminals through swap agreements, broadening Canada’s energy offer beyond the nuclear sector.
Decision timeline and competition in Warsaw
Poland will select the technology and financial partner for its second plant in 2027 and confirm the site location in 2028, according to Deputy Energy Minister Wojciech Wrochna. Canada is competing with the United States and France for the contract, and Warsaw has also held preliminary talks with South Korea.
The country’s first nuclear plant, with the three AP1000 reactors, will begin construction in 2028 and connect its first unit to the power grid in 2036, with the remaining two between 2037 and 2038.
Poland’s full nuclear program envisions between 6 and 9 GW of capacity, a scale that would reshape Central Europe’s energy balance and reduce its reliance on imported gas during winter.
Export diversification amid a tariff dispute
The nuclear push comes as Ottawa seeks to reduce its trade dependence on the United States amid the tariff dispute with President Donald Trump. Sidhu led a record delegation of more than 200 Canadian companies in Kielce.
Washington, for its part, hopes to secure additional nuclear contracts in Poland, a NATO ally that also buys U.S. aircraft and military equipment.
SOURCE: https://es.investing.com/
PHOTO: Shutterstock
