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Country profile: Slovak Republic

Summary figures for 2011

The following information is from the NEA publication Nuclear Energy Data, the annual compilation of official statistics and country reports on nuclear energy in OECD member countries.

Country
Number of nuclear power plants connected to the grid
Nuclear electricity generation
(net TWh) 2011
Nuclear percentage of total electricity supply
Slovak Republic
4
14.3
55.2
  
OECD Europe
135
858.4
24.7
  
Total
329
2049.5
20.7
  

Country report

Energy policy

The main aims of the Slovak energy policy are to decrease energy demand and increase security of energy supplies, based on the principles of maximising safety, reliability, quality and economic effectiveness.

In 2011, gross electricity production in the Slovak Republic was 28135 GWh, an increase of 415 GWh compared to 2010. This slight increase is mainly due to whole year operation of all nuclear units on increased power (107% of the nominal power).

At the beginning of March 2011, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic licensed units 1 and 2 of the Mochovce nuclear power plant to operate until 2021. This licence is an extended permit to operate the Mochovce units, issued and based on an overall and systematic periodic assessment of nuclear safety. The nuclear safety assessment process at the Mochovce units took more than two years.

In January 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic published the final report on stress tests results conducted at the Slovak nuclear facilities. The national report contains the results of stress tests executed at the Slovak nuclear facilities, which Slovenské elektrárne, the operator of these facilities, voluntarily conducted during the period from March to December 2011. During the stress tests, extraordinary external situations such as earthquakes, floods, and the consequences of other situations which could potentially lead to multiple losses of power plant safety functions were analysed. The main result is that nuclear power plants in the Slovak Republic are safe and they do not show any deficiencies which would require immediate measures in order to secure their reliable operation.

Fuel cycle developments

Design and development work for the use of nuclear fuel with higher enrichment on units 1 and 2 of the Mochovce nuclear power station was successfully completed and both reactors were loaded with fresh nuclear fuel with average enrichment 4.87% 235U. The same project for Bohunice nuclear power station is underway and first loading of nuclear fuel with higher enrichment on units 3 and 4 is scheduled in 2012.

Status of project to complete Mochovce units 3 and 4

The year 2011 and December in particular was a period of some crucial milestones in the construction of units 3 and 4 of the Mochovce nuclear power plant - installation of the unit 4 reactor pressure vessel being the most important. The pressure vessel was successfully installed in the reactor pit on 3 December 2011. Other important milestones in the construction of unit 3 in 2011 included the installation of the primary piping (welding of primary loops) and the steam turbine.

Source: Nuclear Energy Data 2012

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Last reviewed: 7 October 2012