The Mochovce nuclear power plant. (source: TASR - Gabriel Kuchta )
Slovakia is expected to become an energy self-sufficient country by the end of this year.
The third unit of the Mochovce nuclear power plant, supposed to be completed a decade ago, is already operating at 90 percent of its maximum producing capacity.
An increase in capacity to 100 percent and final tests to commission the new unit are expected in September or October, Slovenské Elektrárne said. The company is Slovakia's largest electricity producer. The full functionality of the unit will be confirmed by a 144-hour demonstration run at 100 percent power, which will end the energy start-up stage.
The new nuclear unit has an installed capacity of 471 megawatts, which will cover about 13 percent of the total electricity consumption in Slovakia. In terms of electricity production, the country should become energy self-sufficient already this year.
The service life of the new unit is planned for at least 60 years.
The unit has already supplied about 650,000 megawatt-hours of electricity to the grid, which will cover the average annual consumption of about 260,000 Slovak households.
Overpriced project
Slovenské Elektrárne started the completion of the 3rd and 4th units under construction in 2008, with an estimated cost of €2.8 billion. Over the years, the completion dates and the funds spent on the project have changed. Two years ago, €6.2 billion was said to be the final price.
Construction of the nuclear power plant in Mochovce began in 1982. Nine years later it was suspended due to lack of funds. The first two units were completed and commissioned in 1998 and 1999.
Seven out of ten Slovaks support nuclear energy. Up to 60 percent think that generating electricity in a nuclear power plant is safe, showed a 2022 public opinion poll by the ACRC agency for the Slovak Society for Foreign Policy.
In addition to nuclear power plants, Slovenské Elektrárne also operates 31 hydroelectric, two thermal and two photovoltaic power plants.
