Poland approves Baltic pier to supply components for first nuclear plant

The Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gdańsk has issued an environmental decision for the Marine Off-loading Facility and an associated technical road. Formally approved on 30 September 2026 and announced on 5 October, the clearance provides the legal and environmental framework for offshore logistics serving Poland's first nuclear power station. The application was submitted jointly by the Maritime Office in Gdynia and state project company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe. Developing an offshore unloading pier is intended to relieve regional road and railway networks, allowing outsized structural components to arrive directly by sea.

Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz Marchewka stated that the decision advances strategic marine logistics:

Obtaining the environmental decision for MOLF brings us closer to delivering infrastructure that will be essential for building Poland's first nuclear power plant. Using maritime transport to deliver the largest and heaviest plant components will allow us to tap into the potential of Polish ports and maritime infrastructure.

Technical design and marine infrastructure

The planned facility consists of a permanent, openwork reinforced concrete pier resting on steel piles. The entire structure spans approximately 1,112 meters, including an offshore section measuring roughly 970 meters into the Baltic Sea. Engineering specifications state that the pier will accommodate ultra-heavy equipment, including reactor pressure vessels and steam generators. Unloading operations will utilize lift-on/lift-off systems with heavy cranes alongside roll-on/roll-off platforms for specialized transport vehicles. The project scope also encompasses dedicated mooring berths, an approach channel, a turning basin, and a vessel manoeuvring area.

Environmental requirements and hydrodynamic research

The environmental decision sets strict construction and operational conditions to protect local ecosystems and coastal morphology. Mandatory measures focus on habitat and species preservation, water quality controls, noise limits, and continuous monitoring of coastal erosion. The approval relied on an environmental impact report with biological surveys covering flora, local habitats, and coastal bird migration corridors. Specialized technical analyses incorporated 2025 hydrodynamic and sediment transport modeling conducted by the Institute of Hydro-Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The Maritime Office in Gdynia reported that decades of accumulated coastal data enabled researchers to assess storm impacts, seasonal variances, and long-term coastal changes against computational models.

Michał Olszewski, vice-president of Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, commented on the regulatory progress:

This is another milestone that allows us to maintain good momentum on our project.

Permitting pipeline and nuclear plant schedule

The Maritime Office in Gdynia will oversee the construction of the hydrotechnical infrastructure and is currently evaluating contractor bids in an open tender. In the coming days, the office plans to file applications for a companion investment location decision and a water permit before seeking an official building permit. The nuclear power plant is located at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site within the Choczewo municipality of Pomerania. Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe submitted its nuclear construction license application to the National Atomic Energy Agency in March 2026. In August 2026, the developer handed the site over to the American consortium of Westinghouse and Bechtel, where deep geological surveys and secondary preparatory works are actively underway. The first Westinghouse AP1000 reactor is scheduled to begin operations in 2036, followed by unit two in 2037 and unit three in 2038.