Slovakia has decommissioned the second reactor of the V1 nuclear power plant at Jaslovské Bohunice (Trnava region) in compliance with its pledge to do so in its EU-accession agreement, said Economy Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek during the shutdown, which was carried out by the Nuclear Decommissioning Company (JAVYS) on December 31.
The first reactor, built like the second one in the late 1970s according to a Soviet design, was put out of operation at the end of 2006. Both reactors fell short of the EU's safety requirements. JAVYS general director Ján Valko said that the full dismantling of both reactors will take until 2025 and will cost Sk40 billion (€1.35 billion).
Jahnátek revealed that Slovakia may re-instate the two reactors - beginning sometime near the end of 2009 - at the same time adhering to the English-language accession agreement deemed applicable by the European Union in the event of international disputes. Only the Slovak version includes provisions concerning the gradual dismantling of reactors, noted the minister.
"The electricity deficit will be higher than expected as of the second half of next year. The financial crisis puts limits on the resources available to build new power plants in other areas. Larger EU states are preparing to extend the service life of their plants by 20 years," he said.
According to Valko, the units could be reintroduced relatively smoothly within 18 months of their decommissioning. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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