Prime Minister Donald Tusk Courtesy of PO

Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday denied that the government intends to shelve Poland’s nuclear power project in order to focus on shale gas exploration and production.

He said that the country's strategy is to diversify energy sources, and that both programs are equally prioritized.

Just a day earlier, the CEO of state-owned utility PGE, Krzysztof Kilian, stated that both projects can’t be carried out simultaneously for a number of reasons. His company has been charged with overseeing the implementation of Poland's nuclear power program.

“It's understandable that CEOs evaluate energy projects and shale gas investments in terms of their financial capabilities. But the state-controlled companies will – to the extent permitted by law – implement the government’s strategy,” said Mr Tusk.

According to analysts surveyed by Parkiet, Poland should be carrying out both projects in parallel, at least until it can precisely estimate the size of its shale gas deposits, and the profitability of shale gas production.

Poland A.M.