Slovakia
| On this page: - Country Profile - Operating Soviet-Designed Nuclear Power Plants - Nuclear Power Generating Policy and Oversight - Fuel Supply and Waste Disposal - Key Nuclear Organizations (a Central and Eastern European Country) |
Additional Slovakia sections on this website: - Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant - Map of Slovakia - Photos of Slovakia |
Size: 18,859 square miles (about twice the size of New Hampshire)
Population: 5,387,665 (July 1997 est.)
Gross Domestic Product: $42.8 billion (1996 est.)
Gross Domestic Product per Capita: $8,000 (1996 est.)
Electricity Production: 25 billion kWh (1996 est.)
Electricity Consumption per Capita: 4,600 kWh (1996 est.)
Total Installed Generating Capacity (1996): 7,000 MW
Thermal-Fired Plants: 3,440 MW (50%)
Nuclear Plants: 1,760 MW (25%)
Hydroelectric Plants: 1,800 MW (25%)
Operating Soviet-Designed Nuclear Power Plants
Slovakia operates four VVER-440 reactors at Jaslovske Bohunice: two VVER-440/230s and two VVER-440/213s. In 1997, the Bohunice nuclear power plant supplied 44 percent of Slovakia's electricity. Two VVER-440/213s are located at the Mochovce site as well. Mochovce Unit 1 was placed in operation in late summer of 1998. Mochovce Unit 2 is under final construction and is scheduled to be operational in late 1999.
In 1991, the Czechoslovakian government launched a major program to upgrade Bohunice Units 1 and 2. That program continues today under the Slovakian government.
Nuclear Power Generating Policy and Oversight
Slovenske Electrarne (SE) is the Slovak public utility that is responsible for electricity generation and high-voltage transmission. SE reports to the Slovak Ministry of the Economy. Nuclear energy oversight is the responsibility of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, which has two components: a nuclear safety policy section (international cooperation, legal and quality assurance, crisis and emergency response management, and general administration) and a nuclear safety evaluation and inspection section (systems and components, materials and physical protection, decommissioning, and radioactive waste). There are seven resident inspectors at Bohunice and Mochovce.
The Nuclear Regulatory Authority is responsible for reviewing the qualifications and performance of plant operators and other staff, approving training programs, examining licensed personnel, and issuing licenses. There are three training centers for nuclear power plant workers in the Czech and Slovak Republics"one for skilled workers in the Czech Republic at Brno, one for skilled workers at Piestany in the Slovak Republic, and one for professional employees at Trnava, also in the Slovak Republic.
Fuel Supply and Waste Disposal
Russia supplies fuel to the Slovak VVER-440 reactors.
The Slovak Republic is negotiating with Russia to send spent fuel there for reprocessing. The interim storage facility at Bohunice will run out of capacity in 1997. SE plans to build a long- term storage facility for spent fuel from both the Bohunice and Mochovce plants. However, Bohunice management has reportedly said that building its own permanent storage facility is not an option.
- Nuclear Regulatory Authority - Slovakian nuclear regulatory organization.
- Nuclear Power Plants Research Institute, Trnava - organization responsible for nuclear research and development, analysis, and training.
Source: Source Book , 4th ed., Nuclear Energy Institute, 1996; Soviet-Designed Nuclear Power Plant Profiles , U.S. Department of Energy, 1999
