(Bloomberg) -- Poland’s government is prepared to consider France’s Electricite de France SA as a bidder for the second stage of its nuclear power program after the previous government picked US companies to build the country’s first reactors.

The decision on the next plant and its location, which has to be taken until 2028, is still “an open question and the French are very interested in this project,” Deputy Climate Minister Milosz Motyka told Bloomberg in an interview.

Poland in 2022 picked an offer from Westinghouse Electric Co. and Bechtel Group Inc. to build the country’s first three reactors. The choice of the US companies for the $20 billion deal appeared natural as Warsaw sought to strengthen ties with Washington following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

A potential pivot toward France in the second stage of the plan comes as the two-month old administration of Prime Minister Donald Tusk seeks to mend relations with its European Union parters after tumultuous eight years of nationalist rule.

“The first project should be implemented with the American side, as agreed,” said Motyka. “However, when it comes to subsequent projects from the program, including the second location, the matter is open.”

The French side has argued that its technology is already being used across Europe, including in Finland and the UK, making it easier for the two EU nations to cooperate, according to the deputy minister. Tusk discussed nuclear energy with French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to Paris last week.

Energy Mix

The planned investment is part of Poland’s push to replace aging coal-fired power plants to meet the EU’s climate goals. The first 3.75 gigawatt project was scheduled to become operational in 2033, but Motyka said meeting the deadline will be difficult and blamed the previous government for the delay.

Separately, Poland wants to adopt a law that would free up investments in onshore wind farms by the end of June. Motyka said the plan to cut the minimum distance allowed for building wind turbines near residential areas could add 10 gigawatt of power-generating capacity by 2030. 

All of these measures should help the country reach a goal of having renewables account for 60% of its energy mix by the end of this decade compared with the 50% sought by the previous government.

Poland has seen its electricity costs surge since the invasion of Ukraine. The previous government had been subsidizing households to help avoid social unrest before a parliamentary election in October last year.

The current support program will expire in June and the new administration is planning to propose a new version of it in March, according to Motyka. The funding for subsidies is going to shift away from a special tax on state-controlled Orlen SA and onto the budget. A gradual phase-out of the price cap may cost as much as 8.5 billion zloty until July 2025, he said.

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