Oleg Dietkow, PhD, Joanna Grudowska and Katarzyna Iwińska, PhD from Łukasiewicz – ITECH took part in the 17th European Sociological Association Conference. During the event, they delivered two presentations on the Polish Nuclear Power Programme, examining how experts perceive its implementation as well as the significance of time pressure, security and energy sovereignty.
The European Sociological Association Conference is one of the most important events for the European sociological community. This year, the participation of Łukasiewicz – ITECH experts focused on the social, institutional and strategic factors shaping the development of nuclear energy in Poland.
How do experts perceive Poland’s nuclear power programme?
The first presentation, “Framing Nuclear Energy in Poland’s Energy Transition: Expert Perspectives on the Polish Nuclear Power Programme”, was delivered by Katarzyna Iwińska, PhD as part of the Environment and Society stream, during a session dedicated to nuclear energy.
The study conducted by Łukasiewicz – ITECH experts examines how experts and professionals involved in shaping energy policy and managing the nuclear energy sector perceive the implementation of the Polish Nuclear Power Programme. The authors used Q methodology to identify shared patterns in how the key challenges associated with the development of nuclear energy are interpreted.
The analysis covered, among other issues, energy sovereignty, infrastructure and technology development, climate and environmental considerations, economic conditions, and the social dimension of the programme – including public acceptance and the availability of appropriately qualified personnel – as well as the temporal dimension of the programme’s implementation.
The researchers identified three main narratives concerning the development of nuclear energy. What they share is the belief that nuclear power is of strategic importance for decarbonisation, energy security and the stability of the power system. They differ, however, in how they define the most important challenges and risks, including institutional capacity, process transparency, time pressure and the balance between expert-led decision-making and public participation.
Can the nuclear programme be delivered on time?
The second presentation, “Temporal Urgency and Energy Sovereignty – The Case of the Polish Nuclear Power Programme”, was delivered within the Science and Technology stream during the Governance, Standards and Public Policy session.
In this study, the authors focused on how experts involved in the implementation of the Polish Nuclear Power Programme understand and prioritise energy security in the context of the changes brought about by the post-2022 energy crisis, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and growing pressure to decarbonise. The analysis was based on 22 in-depth interviews with experts representing 11 public institutions, as well as material from a panel discussion.
The findings show that regulation and governance feature particularly prominently in expert discourse,while energy affordability is given considerably less weight. Energy availability and energy sovereignty are consistently prioritised over costs, while the efficient implementation of the programme is considered more important than broad public participation. In environmental terms, greater emphasis is placed on reducing emissions and meeting climate targets than on a broader understanding of sustainable development.
The analysis therefore shows that attitudes towards nuclear energy in Poland are strongly shaped by security considerations and the geopolitical situation.. This is important not only for the implementation of the nuclear programme itself, but also for the way the energy transition is governed, public participation in decision-making, energy justice and the building of public trust.
The two presentations offer complementary perspectives on the development of nuclear energy in Poland. Together, they show that its future depends not only on technology and infrastructure, but also on institutional capacity, the way the process is governed, the social legitimacy of decisions and the ability to implement long-term projects amid growing pressure to strengthen security and energy independence.
More information on the findings can be found in the full Łukasiewicz – ITECH report, “The Polish Nuclear Power Programme: Implementation Perspectives in Light of Expert Opinions”, authored by Oleg Dietkow, PhD, Joanna Grudowska and Katarzyna Iwińska, PhD.