Slovakia

As of 31 December 2022

Slovakia has two nuclear power plants with VVER-440/V-213 reactors: two at Bohunice V2, 140 km northeast of Bratislava, and three at Mochovce, 100 km east of Bratislava, with unit 4 at that site under construction. Two VVER-440/V-230 units at Bohunice V1 were shut down in 2006 and 2008 as a condition of Slovakia’s membership of the EU.

After reaching first criticality in October 2022, Mochovce 3 was connected to the grid at the end of January 2023.

At the Bohunice plant, decommissioning of the two V1 reactors started in 2012, and the reactors were fully dismantled by the end of July 2022. Plans for a new reactor, unit 5, were first announced in 2008 for a 1000-1600 MWe unit, with Czech utility CEZ as the 49% joint venture partner, with the remaining share held by state-owned Javys. The formal joint venture JESS (Jadrová Energetická Spoločnosť Slovenska, Slovakia Nuclear Energy Company) agreement was signed the following year. Although in March 2022 CEZ said the project was effectively stalled, in February 2023 JESS applied to Slovakia’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority for a siting permit for Bohunice 5.

In June 2023 Slovenské Elektrárne signed a memorandum of understanding with France's Framatome on the development of European nuclear fuel for VVER-440 reactors.

Figure Sk1. Annual electricity output (TWh) and age of reactors (years) at time of generation

Figure Sk2. Average capacity factor of reactors in Slovakia

Figure Sk3. Emissions avoidance through use of nuclear generation in Slovakia

WNN Links

Mochovce 3 supplies first electricity to grid : World Nuclear News - 1 February 2023

Siting permit requested for new Slovak plant : World Nuclear News - 20 February 2023

Framatome and Slovenské elektrárne to cooperate on new VVER fuel : World Nuclear News - 1 June 2023