Education of personnel for nuclear power. The AGH UST signed a letter of intent

The main goal of the letter is to develop a programme of study in nuclear power and to organise and launch first- and second-cycle degree programmes starting in 2023/2024. 

The document was signed by the following people:

• Minister of Education and Science, Przemysław Czarnek
• President of the Board of PKN Orlen, Daniel Obajtek
• Rector of the Poznan University of Technology, Professor Teofil Jesionowski
• Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Professor Arkadiusz Franciszek Mężyk
• Rector of the Gdańsk University of Technology, Professor Krzysztof Wilde
• Rector of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Professor Jerzy Lis
• Rector of the Warsaw University of Technology, Professor Krzysztof Zaremba
• Rector of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Professor Arkadiusz Kazimierz Wójs.

According to the Polish Nuclear Power Programme, two nuclear power plants are to be built on the territory of Poland, comprising three reactors. The construction of the first reactor is scheduled to begin in 2026, the launch in 2033, and igniting the last one in the second half of 2043. The education of specialists in this field is one of the most important challenges for the development of nuclear power in Poland.

ORLEN Synthos Green Energy (a company by PKN ORLEN and Synthos Green Energy) plans to erect several dozen small nuclear reactors (SMRs) in Poland before the end of 2029. This endeavour prompts a search for specialists that will be employed in these power plants, but also during their construction. Each power plant with the BWRX-300 reactor will create about 100 jobs for highly qualified specialists. The lack thereof would constitute a huge barrier to the development of the atom industry in Poland, especially in the sector of small SMR reactors that will emerge quite quickly and spread throughout the country.

It should be noted that this new branch of Polish industry will require not only nuclear specialists, but also chemists, electrical engineers, chemical technology specialists, experts in safety and environmental protection and cybersecurity, scientists, and rapid reaction forces.