USA and Slovakia signed agreement on nuclear energy cooperation
The United States and Slovakia have signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in civil nuclear energy. Reuters reported the news. The signing ceremony at the Department of Energy building in Washington followed a working meeting between Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The agreement includes construction of a 1,200-megawatt nuclear unit based on a US design at the Jaslovské Bohunice nuclear power plant.
"Today's agreement on civil nuclear energy reflects our shared commitment to strengthening Europe's energy security and sovereignty for decades to come," Wright said.
Fico said the agreement was "a clear signal that Slovakia and the United States share a strategic vision for the future of energy—its security, sustainability and technological sophistication".
Fico is also scheduled to meet with Westinghouse, which is expected to be responsible for construction of the new unit. Previous statements by Fico indicated that Bratislava could sign a contract with Westinghouse next year.
Slovakia's opposition criticized the Fico government for not intending to select a partner to build the new nuclear power plant through a public tender. It also pointed out that Czechia held a tender for a similar project. Two new nuclear units at Dukovany will be built by South Korea's KHNP.
Nuclear power plants already account for the largest share of electricity generation in Slovakia, which is self-sufficient in electricity following a decline in consumption and the commissioning of the third unit at the Mochovce nuclear power plant in 2023. The Mochovce plant, where the fourth unit is expected to start operating this year, as well as the nuclear power plant at Jaslovské Bohunice, is operated by Slovenské elektrárne (SE). The Czech businessman Daniel Křetínský's Energetický a průmyslový holding (EPH) controls 66 percent of the shares in the country's largest electricity producer, while the Slovak government holds the remaining stake in SE.
Translation disclaimer
This article is a machine translation of the Czech original and has not yet been fully reviewed. In case of any doubt, please refer to the Czech version.
