The Maria reactor is back in operation. The minister announces inspections.

• The Maria reactor is the only nuclear reactor of its kind operating in Poland.
• The need to shut down the reactor due to the lack of appropriate permits was heavily criticized.
• In an interview with WNP, Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka does not hide the fact that this whole situation does not reflect well on the administration.

Poland's only nuclear reactor, Maria , has been in standby since April 2025. The reason? The reactor lacked a valid operating permit.

Now, after four months, the reactor can return to operation. The National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) has received approval from the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency to operate the MARIA research reactor. According to NCBJ, the permit was issued for an indefinite period and allows for the reactor's continued operation.

The situation with the Maria reactor does not give the administration a good impression.

In an interview for WNP, Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka stated that what happened does not reflect well on the administration and the state.

Such situations should not occur and the management control, still exercised by the Ministry of Industry, will certainly require our attention - said WNP Miłosz Motyka.

As the minister emphasized, there was an interruption in the operation of the reactor, which now has to be restarted, the PAA had to wait for the documents, and their processing took far too long.

"This entire process hasn't done the administration, and I think you, any favors either. It's important to draw conclusions," Miłosz Motyka concluded in an interview with WNP.

The only active nuclear facility in Poland is back in operation.

The decision of the President of the PAA concludes a multi-stage administrative procedure, under which NCBJ submitted complete documentation, including safety analyses, operational procedures, emergency plans, and detailed information on the physical and radiological protection of the facility.

As reported by NCBJ, the preparation process for issuing the permit was carried out in close cooperation with the National Atomic Energy Agency and in accordance with the highest standards of supervision over nuclear safety and radiological protection.

"For us, this is very good news and even a relief. The reactor plays a very important role, but nuclear safety requirements must always be met. Now that all the necessary analyses and procedures have been properly prepared and approved, Maria can return to operation , and the priority is to implement the modernization program, which will allow it to operate for another 20 years," said Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka, quoted in the press release.

The MARIA reactor is the only operating nuclear facility of its kind in Poland, and therefore holds significant significance for both the national and international scientific and medical sectors. For many years, it has played a key role in the production of medical radioisotopes, including molybdenum-99, accounting for a portion of the global supply.

Moreover, it is an important base for research in the field of nuclear physics, materials science, nuclear energy, as well as for staff training for the implementation of the Polish Nuclear Power Program.

"Receiving the new permit confirms the high level of safety of our infrastructure and the competence of the team of engineers, physicists, and specialists involved in the operation of the MARIA reactor. We thank the Polish Atomic Energy Agency (PAA) for its substantive and responsible cooperation, and all domestic and international partners for their trust during the reactor's downtime. We are initiating the procedure to resume the reactor's operation and will continue its research and production mission," said Prof. Agnieszka Pollo, acting director of the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ). Obtaining the new permit opens up further years of safe operation for MARIA and supporting the development of science, technology, and medicine.