On Tuesday, Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, announced that his government has approved an agreement with a US company to develop an additional nuclear reactor. This significant multi-billion-dollar initiative was disclosed during a speech at an annual nuclear conference in the Slovak capital.
The proposed reactor is slated for construction at the existing nuclear facility in Jaslovské Bohunice, situated in western Slovakia. It is projected to have an output exceeding 1,000 megawatts and will be entirely state-owned. The timeline for the formal signing of the agreement between the two governments remains uncertain.
Slovakia is heavily dependent on nuclear energy, generating over 80% of its electricity from two operational nuclear plants. Although further details were not provided, it is worth noting that the government previously approved a plan last year for a 1,200-megawatt nuclear unit at the same site, where the leading utility, Slovenské Elektrárně, currently operates two existing nuclear units. The estimated cost of this project could reach up to €15 billion.
Recent governmental updates indicate that Slovakia is in discussions for a direct agreement with the US company Westinghouse. According to the Associated Press, a broader trend of nuclear expansion is underway in Central and Eastern Europe. For instance, the neighbouring Czech Republic has signed a contract with Korea’s KHNP to construct two additional nuclear reactors. At the same time, Poland has established a partnership with Westinghouse to build its inaugural nuclear power plant. Furthermore, Russian energy firm Rosatom is poised to construct two additional reactors in Hungary.
