Electrabel Polska, a unit of French energy company GDF Suez SA (GSZ.FR), is to build a gas-fired power station in Poland, which is striving to reduce its reliance on coal, authorities said Tuesday.
Monika Budzeniusz, an official in Wloclawek, 120 kilometers from Warsaw, told AFP that Electrabel Polska had bought a site there for the planned 900-megawatt plant.
The construction of the plant--due to last two years--is expected to cost a total of 2.0 billion zloty ($706 million).
Electrabel Polska refused to comment.
However, the Polish gas group PGNiG (PGN.WA) said it was also involved and had further moves in its sights.
"We are interested in all projects that could increase gas consumption in Poland," said PGNiG's spokeswoman Joanna Zakrzewska.
Poland, a former communist nation of 38 million citizens that joined the European Union in 2004, has rich coal reserves.
It is also one of the world's most coal-dependent counties, relying on the fossil fuel to generate more than 90% of its electricity, and is trying to widen its power sources.
Besides boosting use of gas, it also plans to open its first-ever nuclear power plant by 2020.