The new centre-right government wants to support construction of a north-south
natural gas connection between terminals in Croatia and Poland, as states in the government programme approved by the cabinet on July 28.
"Such a gas connection would cross all countries of Visegrad Group; thus, possibility of connecting Slovakia to important gas projects of the South Stream or Nabucco," reads the statement as quoted by SITA newswire.
The new government will also support the construction project of a new nuclear power plant in Jaslovské Bohunice. However, the government will approve the project provided
the construction is not funded from state finances.
In the area of security of electricity supplies, the government will focus on increasing cross-border transmission capacity of interconnection with Hungary. The government programme also includes diversification of energy sources. However, due to the environmental aspect, it will not support construction of a crude-oil pipeline across
area of Žitný Ostrov (a major central European groundwater reservoir) to Austria, wrote SITA.
According to the government programme, in previous years, pressures to strengthen political influence and increased administrative burden appeared in the energy sector.
"That is why the government will put effort into minimizing the political and public influence and will secure expert professionalism of the Regulatory Office for Network
Industries as well as management and state representatives in the energy companies with state participation," the government writes in its programme statement.
Within the support of renewable energy sources, the government should, according to the Economy Ministry, focus mainly on the forest and agricultural biomass as well as
small hydropower plants. Priority will be technologies that will keep the energy prices close the market ones, with regard to bearable final energy price, according to SITA.
In its programme statement, the government pledged not to privatize strategic companies. However, it plans to support measures aimed at making the operation of companies with
state participation more effective, wrote SITA.
