Bechtel is a company focused on building infrastructure since their founding in 1898, and their portfolio includes relevant projects such as the Vogtle reactors in Georgia. They have taken over management of the site where Poland’s first commercial nuclear power plant will be built from Polish Nuclear Power Plants (PEJ/Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe).
Responsibilities Delegated to Bechtel
As site manager, Bechtel is now responsible for supervising contractors, coordinating work, and ensuring safety throughout the entire 300-hectare (740-acre) site. The first phase includes leveling and grading the site, modernizing drainage systems, and constructing approximately 16 kilometers of temporary roads, as well as preparing the site facilities such as construction offices, warehouses, and equipment depots.
“As we assume responsibility for the site and begin the first permanent plant work, with the initial earthworks contract, we are focused on safely advancing the project, working closely with our Polish partners, and creating the platform for the next phase of work that will ultimately deliver a new source of reliable, carbon-free energy for Poland.” said Bechtel project director Ed Gore, as quoted in the company’s official press release.
The Impact on the Local Polish Economy
More than 400 people are already working on the project, with about a third of them employed directly in Poland. This number is expected to grow as work on the site accelerates past groundbreaking. Part of the Bechtel team operates from the company’s newly opened office in Gdańsk, which will eventually employ around 200 people, mostly recruited locally. The office will combine the company’s global engineering experience with Polish specialists in the construction of the first AP1000 reactor in Poland.
Polish Companies Involved in the Project
Budimex, one of Poland’s largest construction companies, is carrying out earthworks at the site, and over the past year, Bechtel has signed contracts with additional Polish companies, including DORACO and Unihouse, and dozens of additional procurement processes are still ongoing. PEJ reports that since 2020, it has concluded contracts with approximately 475 Polish companies, including several dozen from the Pomeranian region.
Project Overview
The collaboration between Poland and United States counterparts dates back to an intergovernmental agreement in 2021, and since then, the US Department of Energy has regularly emphasized that Poland’s energy security is part of the security of the entire region. For Poles in the United States, especially engineers and professionals in the energy and construction industries, it also carries significant professional value. Companies including the previously mentioned Bechtel have been running internship and recruitment programs involving Polish students and graduates of technical universities for years.
The Choczewo power plant will ultimately consist of three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors with a total capacity of approximately 3,750 megawatts, utilizing tech already in use in commercial operation in China and at the Vogtle power plant in Georgia. In the spring of 2026, PEJ submitted an application for a construction permit to the National Atomic Energy Agency, and in May, the regulator assessed the location as suitable in terms of nuclear safety and radiological protection. It should be noted that part of the financing is provided by the US Export-Import Bank as well.
In the meantime, for building supplies, construction and contracting companies operating here in the tri-state for the Polish-American market, you can always check in the Polish Pages directory.
