Power plant Elektárne Nováky (ENO) (source: TASR)
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Altogether 12 employees in five power plants run by Slovenské Elektrárne, Slovakia’s dominant energy generator, have been infected with the coronavirus.
Another more than 50 people who have been in contact with them and have tested positive are currently in home isolation.
“The situation is the most serious in the Nováky thermal power plant where we had to put two blocks out of operation,” said Oľga Baková, spokesperson of Slovenské Elektrárne, as quoted by the SITA newswire.
Mining company affected
The electricity generated by the power plant is distributed from the plants in Mochovce and Jaslovské Bohunice. The heat deliveries have not been affected as the boiler producing heat for the customers in the Upper Nitra region is still in operation, she added.
The decision to put the blocks out of operation has impacted the deliveries of coal from Hornonitrianske Bane Prievidza (HPB) mining company.
“We’re in touch and we’ve found a solution to not threaten the operation of Hornonitrianske Bane,” Baková said, as quoted by SITA.
The mining company considers the situation to be extremely serious. It had to reduce daily deliveries from 4,500 tonnes of coal to 700 tonnes.
If the situation persists over a longer period, it would threaten the mining operation and cause significant economic damages to the company, said its spokesperson Adriana Siváková, as reported by the TASR newswire.
