U.S. and Poland Launch World’s First Regional Clean Energy Training Center

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the world’s first regional Clean Energy Training Center in Warsaw, Poland, to help jump-start the country’s domestic civil nuclear energy program. 

The center will serve Poland and the broader Central European region as a training hub for countries considering new or expanded nuclear reactor deployment, and it builds on previous international agreements to expand global nuclear energy capacity and combat the climate crisis. 

Building Capacity 

The first training session was launched at Warsaw Technical University in cooperation with the Poland Ministry of Climate and Environment and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  

DOE experts, lab personnel, and industry will engage through the center to provide training, technical expertise, and capacity building to support Poland and other Central European countries as they move forward with building sustainable nuclear power programs. 

The center is a key piece to the puzzle for Poland, which hopes to begin building three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors in the country as early as 2030 to shift away from coal-fired power plants and strengthen energy security in the region.  

Last year, Poland joined the U.S. and more than 20 other countries at COP28 in pledging to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050.  

“This center symbolizes a commitment between the United States and Poland that extends far beyond a commercial relationship,” said Dr. Michael Goff, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. “This catalytic milestone will help ensure Poland has the training and resources it needs to buildout its first nuclear power plant.” 

“Nuclear energy is an important element of Poland's energy transition. The implementation of the largest investment in the history of the Polish power system together with our U.S. partners is an expression of the Polish-American strategic alliance” said Miłosz Motyka, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Climate and Environment. “Cooperation with the United States will bring Poland closer to achieving climate neutrality and comprehensive modernization of the Polish energy sector."

What’s Next? 

DOE has already announced plans to launch regional Clean Energy Training Centers in Ghana and the United Arab Emirates. 

The Department is also requesting an additional $8 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to establish more training centers over the coming years to support workforce development, training, and knowledge sharing with new and emerging nuclear energy countries in Africa, Asia, and Central Europe. 

The Clean Energy Training Centers are led by DOE’s Office of International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation, which collaborates with international partners to support the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear energy.