FOR the second year in a row Slovakia is consuming more energy than its power stations are able to generate. According to a projection by the Economy Ministry, a total of 28.4 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity will be generated in Slovakia this year, whereas power consumption is expected to reach 30.6 TWh, the SITA newswire wrote on September 16.
The monitoring report on the security of power supply, which the Economy Ministry must draft by the end of July of each year, shows that Slovakia will be dependent on electricity imports over the next five years as a result of the shutdowns of several power generating facilities. For instance, Slovakia is forecast to consume 31.1 TWh of electricity in 2009 against production of 25.8 TWh, according to the prognosis. Slovakia will have to import 17 to 20 percent of its electricity consumption to cover its demand between 2009 and 2012.
Last year's overall power consumption was 29.6 TWh. This was less than in 2006, but was 1.06 TWh more than in 2005. Total power output in 2007 reached 27.9 TWh, down 10.6 percent year-on-year. The balance of electricity imports accounted for 5.8 percent of Slovakia’s overall power consumption, up from 5.4 percent in 2006, reads the report. Nuclear power plants generated 55 percent of all electricity last year; thermal plants produced 29 percent; and hydroelectric plants 16 percent. Slovakia’s installed generating capacity in 2007 stood at 7,508 megawatts.
Slovakia is not expected to balance domestic electricity supply and demand until after 2013, when the Economy Ministry expects the third and fourth units of the Mochovce nuclear power plant to be completed, as well as installation of combined-cycle plants and reconstruction of some of existing capacity to increase its efficiency.
