A series of technical meetings between the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) and the Polish Atomic Energy Agency regarding the HTGR-POLA reactor technology has been finalized.

On September 25th, 2025, the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) finalized, initiated a series of 4 preliminary technical meetings with the Polish Atomic Energy Agency (PAA). The meetings have been held within the framework of the document “Dialogue Policy of the President of PAA with investors planning to undertake activities involving exposure to ionizing radiation related to the construction of a nuclear facility” and were intended to prepare and submit an application for the so-called general opinion of the President of PAA regarding the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology HTGR-POLA. The discussion which took more than 4 months concerned the planned organizational and technical solutions in the future activity as well as the draft documents that must be submitted with the application for a permit. After finalizing this stage of discussion, an application for a general opinion according to the Polish Atomic Law art. 39 b) is planned. At a later stage, NCBJ is going to submit an advance opinion regarding the planned location of the nuclear facility or specific aspects of project.

During the meetings, chaired on the NCBJ side by Prof. Mariusz Dąbrowski – coordinator of the HTGR-POLA project – various technical aspects and safety analyses have been presented. Among them: the main goal and method of project implementation, a general description of the nuclear facility, and the structure of the documentation. NCBJ experts produced to PAA partners the most important structures, systems and components of the object both in nuclear and in conventional islands. It was discussed the in-vessel components (fuel, fuel assemblies, core composition), reactor cooling systems and supporting systems, auxiliary systems, electric systems, instrumentation and control systems, fuel and radioactive waste management. The safety system of HTGR-POLA facility including deterministic and probabilistic safety analyses for operational and accident states have also been discussed. 

The technical dialogue between NCBJ and PAA is a step toward preparing the technical design, licensing, and subsequently the construction and commissioning of the HTGR-POLA reactor, which will be the first such test installation in Poland and in the European Union. The experience gained from its operation will enable the implementation of a program for building a fleet of higher-power high-temperature reactors for the chemical and petrochemical industries.

It is worth mentioning that on the 20th of May 2025 there was an approval of the final report of the project entitled “Technical Description Of The Research High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Nuclear Reactor” (Agreement No. 1/HTGR/2021/14 dated May 12, 2021, for the amount of PLN 60 million) by the Minister of Science and Higher Education, the result of which was the submission in December 2024 of the basic design and elements of the preliminary safety report for the HTGR-POLA reactor (more information: https://www.ncbj.gov.pl/en/news/approval-htgr-pola-reactor-project-documentation-ministry-science-and-higher-education). Both of the above facts open the way for potential continuation of the project by the NCBJ competency teams in cooperation with Japanese and Polish scientific and industrial partners.