Slovakia is set to connect the fourth unit of its Mochovce nuclear power plant to the national electricity grid for the first time, marking another step towards full operation, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Tuesday.
The 471 megawatt unit, operated by Slovenske Elektrarne, began its power up process in September. With reactor output reaching 20 per cent, the turbine generators can now be synchronised with the electricity grid, allowing the facility to begin supplying power.
Fico said the connection would provide Slovakia with another stable source of electricity. The operator expects the unit to become fully operational by the end of 2026.
The fourth unit will be the final reactor to enter service at Mochovce, Slovakia’s second nuclear power plant. Its third unit was connected to the grid in 2023.
Slovenske Elektrarne has previously said that once the new unit becomes operational, nuclear power could meet 77.5 per cent of Slovakia’s electricity demand, placing the country among Europe’s leading nuclear energy producers by share of electricity supply.
The company is majority owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EPH group, while the Slovak government holds a 34 per cent stake and has expressed interest in increasing its ownership.
Separately, the government is planning a larger, 1,200 megawatt nuclear power plant under state leadership as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s long term energy supply.
Leave a comment