Slovakia - World Nuclear Outlook Report
Current operations
Slovakia's five existing VVER-440/V-213 units at the Bohunice and Mochovce sites are owned by Slovenské elektrárne. A sixth VVER-440 at Mochovce received permission for commissioning from the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (UJDSR) in May 2026, completed fuel loading in July, and achieved first criticality on 6 August 2026. Staged commissioning is under way.
Table Rs.1 Nuclear capacity status (as of 1 October 2026)
| Operable reactors | Operable reactors net capacity (MWe) | Operable reactors gross capacity (MWe) | Reactors under construction | Reactors under construction gross capacity (MWe) | Cumulative carbon dioxide emissions avoided 1970-2025 (cf. coal) (MtCO2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2306 | 2470 | 1 | 471 | 552 |
Nuclear policy and outlook
The Slovak government approved plans for a new unit of around 1200 MWe near the Bohunice nuclear power plant in May 2024. In January 2026 Slovakia and the US signed an intergovernmental agreement covering the development of a new, state-owned 1,200 MWe unit at Bohunice. The agreement is expected to open formal talks with Westinghouse, and the Slovak side hopes to begin operation at the turn of 2040 and 2041.
An April 2026 agreement between Slovakia, the US and Westinghouse launched preparatory studies for the new unit. In September 2026 the government designated the project a strategic investment and approved the purchase by JAVYS, the state-owned decommissioning company, of CEZ's 49% stake in the JESS joint venture for €189.4 million.
A feasibility study under the US-funded Project Phoenix confirmed in January 2026 that four sites (Bohunice, Mochovce, Vojany and the US Steel Košice site) are suitable for SMR deployment. Slovenské elektrárne has indicated that SMRs could be operational from 2035.
In June 2025 Newcleo and JAVYS established a joint venture, now named Newvys, to develop up to four 200 MWe lead-cooled fast reactors at the Bohunice site.
In August 2025 Slovenské elektrárne and Synthos Green Energy signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the possible deployment of GE Vernova Hitachi's BWRX-300 small modular reactors.
Table Sk.2 Contributions to total capacity projection in 2050
| 60 year operation (MWe) | 80 year operation (MWe) | Currently under construction capacity (MWe) | Planned capacity (MWe) | Proposed capacity (MWe) | Potential capacity (MWe) | Government capacity target (MWe) | Additional capacity* required to meet government target (MWe) | Total capacity (MWe) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1470 | 1000 | 471 | - | 1200 | - | - | - | 4141 |
| *Capacity additional to operable, under construction, planned, proposed and potential capacities required to meet the government target. | ||||||||
Readiness Assessment
Slovakia combines exceptionally strong policy support and mature institutions with a nearly-commissioned Mochovce 4 and a US-backed, state-owned unit planned for Bohunice. However, the new unit has no EPC contract, investment decision or construction licence yet.
| Country Category | Expander |
|---|---|
| Policy Framework Readiness | High Nuclear has strong policy support. An intergovernmental agreement with the US on a new state-owned Bohunice unit was signed in January 2026, and the government designated the project a strategic investment in September 2026. The siting permit for the unit was granted in 2024. |
| Institutional & Infrastructure Readiness | High Slovakia has an experienced operator and independent regulator (UJDSR), recent construction and commissioning capability through Mochovce 3 and 4, extensive engineering expertise, mature waste and decommissioning organisations, and strong nuclear education and supply-chain capabilities. The new unit will be state-owned, so the ownership and operating arrangements are still to be confirmed. |
| Programme & Project Development Readiness | Moderate-High Mochovce 4 reached first criticality in August 2026 and is now in staged power commissioning ahead of grid connection. The Bohunice project has a siting permit, a state-owned project company, government backing, a financial adviser and preparatory studies launched with Westinghouse in April 2026. There is no final EPC contract, investment decision or construction licence for the new unit. |
| Target Achievability | Moderate A new 1.2 GWe unit operating around 2040-41 is plausible, but substantial financing, contracting, licensing and EU approval work remains. Mochovce 3 and 4 were expected to start operating in 2012 and 2013, with unit 3 entering commercial operation only in October 2023 and unit 4 still being commissioned in 2026, which shows the potential for major schedule overruns. |
