Nuclear power plant Jaslovské Bohunice waits for its fifth block. (source: Vladimír Šimíček / TASR)
While the dominant electricity producer Slovenské Elektrárne is intensively working on completing the third and fourth units of its nuclear power plant in Mochovce, the semi-state company JESS has advanced in its preparation of a brand new power plant in Jaslovské Bohunice. In mid-February, JESS applied for a location permit with the Slovakia’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ÚJD). The authority will now have a year to make a decision.
While JESS has been working on the project since 2009, this is a significant milestone in building the new nuclear power station. It will replace the decommissioned nuclear power plants in Jaslovské Bohunice. The complete documentation contains almost 2,500 pages of text, noted Miriam Žiaková, spokeswoman for the state decommissioning company JAVYS, the majority shareholder in JESS.
“Apart from the requirements on the quality of nuclear sources and the design of borders, it tackles the issues of the reference safety report, the project intention for physical-technical solutions, the method of handling radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, the size of the threat area, and the assessment of the impact on the environment,” said Žiaková as cited by the SITA newswire.
JESS has not selected the technology of the nuclear part. The environmental impact assessment process indicates that one generation III+ nuclear reactor with a maximum net installed electrical output of up to 1,700 megawatts should be constructed in Jaslovské Bohunice.
Based on the investment plan, the building of the nuclear power plant was originally considered to begin in 2021. The plant was supposed to be launched in 2029. Currently, the year 2039 is being considered. Construction could start in 2031. The service life was planned for 60 years. According to estimates from eight years ago, the construction of the new nuclear power plant should have required between €4 billion-€6 billion.
History of JESS
JESS is a subsidiary of the state-owned JAVYS (Nuclear and Decommissioning Company), holding 51 percent, and the Czech energy company ČEZ holding 49 percent. The subsidiary was launched with the intention to construct a new nuclear power plant on the premises, which include the A1 and V1 nuclear power plants in Jaslovské Bohunice. In the past, they were part of the nuclear power plants Slovenské Elektrárne operated here.
A1 was the first nuclear power station in what is now Slovakia. It was a prototype nuclear power station fuelled by natural uranium that supplied electricity between 1972 and 1977. The station did not resume operations after a re-fuelling accident in 1977. Its decommissioning process is ongoing while it should be completed only after 2033.
The two blocks of the V1 nuclear power plant were connected to the power grid in 1978 and 1980. Slovakia disconnected them from the grid in 2006 and 2008 to fulfil a commitment made prior to entering the European Union to completely close down this facility. The decommissioning process is managed by JAVYS and expected to be completed later in 2020s.
When the government decided to privatise Slovenské Elektrárne, which remained to operate the V2 nuclear power plant in Jaslovské Bohunice, the A1 and V1 nuclear power plants were moved under JAVYS.
JESS also develops projects in the field of electricity production from renewable sources. In the near future, it will put into operation a 20-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic park and the production of emission-free hydrogen.
