The countryside near Plášťovce. (source: Sme - Ján Krošlák)
CITIZENS of a Slovak village close to the border with Hungary have rejected the idea of constructing a hydroelectric power station and reservoir close to their village. In a March 17 referendum, 811 citizens voted from among 1,300 eligible voters and 464 voted against the plan.
“Most people were negative,” said Anikó Helység, Plášťovce’s mayor, as quoted by the Sme daily. “For the village and me personally this is an unambiguous decision which we will pursue. We will not release the construction permit.”
“This is fresh news,” said Milan Španko, the director general of Vupex company, an affiliate of prospective investor Pow-en. “We accept the results of the referendum. The investor will decide on the next steps."
The state’s Nature Protection Agency was also against the project.
Based on its original plan, Pow-en was to invest almost €150 million in construction of an accumulation power station in the vicinity of Plášťovce which would have harnessed the Litava River. This specific type of hydroelectric plant can store power generated by photovoltaic power stations and later release it according to the needs of the grid.
The project included construction of two water reservoirs. Local citizens expressed concern that these would damage the local countryside, interfere with the water table and change the local climate by increasing the amount of humidity in the local atmosphere.
