First Polish nuclear power plant – advisory to PGE EJ1

In recent months PGE EJ 1 Sp. z o.o., the company carrying out the nuclear project, awarded the tenders for strategic legal advisory and day-to-day advisory on the nuclear project. DZP won both procedures and signed a contract with the contracting authority.

Our law firm took first place after fulfilling a number of tender assessment criteria, including the experience of our team of experts. DZP's subcontractors in the project are Morgan Lewis & Bockius, global leader in legal advisory to the nuclear sector, and the Wrocław law firm CWW - S. Cetera, M. Węgrzyn-Wysocka i Wspólnicy, which works for numerous firms in the energy sector in Poland. The project will be carried out at DZP by specialists from the Infrastructure and Energy Practice working under the leadership of Paweł Grzejszczak.

The framework of the strategic legal advisory includes the development of corporate and investment strategies for the power plant construction project, the development of a nuclear damage liability management strategy, the development of a strategy and timeframe for concluding the contracts required for the project and a strategy for managing these contracts, and also drawing up opinions on key project decisions and procedures, including a procedure to select a technology provider for the investment. The day-to-day advisory covers regular support and legal advice on the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Poland, ensuring that the investment complies with Polish law requirements and standards for large infrastructure projects (e.g. energy extraction, grid interconnection), handling and supervising construction work, and help with obtaining administrative decisions and construction permits.

This is not DZP's first work on the nuclear project. Since May 2011 DZP has supported the PGE Group in implementing the nuclear project, providing legal assistance with selecting a project engineer and an entity to carry out site tests to choose the site of the first Polish nuclear power plant.

PGE EJ1 is also carrying out intensive work on the concept of an integrated procedure in which a strategic partner, a financing model and a technology provider are chosen for the investment. Communication activities are also underway, especially in regions initially selected as sites for the power plant. In November 2011 three potential sites were selected: Choczewo (Choczewo municipality, Wejherowo province, Pomorskie voivodship), Gąski (Mielno municipality, Koszalin province, Zachodniopomorskie voivodship), Żarnowiec (Krokowa municipality, Puck province, Pomorskie voivodship).