Although a tender for a new nuclear reactor on the site of the decommissioned V1 plant at the Jaslovské Bohunice power station is not set to be called until later this year, the Slovak government has already shown a preference for a Western-style design.
After talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy (above) on September 17, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country would “very likely” cooperate with France on building the new facility. German, Italian and Russian companies have also shown interest in the project.
Fico and Sarkozy signed a cooperation deal on developing nuclear energy in Paris in which France is to be Slovakia’s strategic partner. The French are also to build a new coal-burning electricity plant at Novaky in Western Slovakia.