Slovak Nuclear & Decommissioning Company (JAVYS – Jadrová a Vyraďovacia Spoločnosť) and Électricité de France (EDF) signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) during the official visit of Slovak Economy Minister Peter Dovhun to Paris, strengthening nuclear co-operation between the Slovak Republic and France. The MOU relates in particular to projects aimed at the development of the construction of nuclear facilities and small modular reactors (SMRs).
JAVYS CEO Pavel Štuller noted that EDF is a leading supplier of innovative nuclear technology, including SMR technology. “The conclusion of the MOU does not create any exclusivity,” he noted. “Once the government of the Slovak Republic takes a decision on the location and type of a new nuclear source, we want to be a responsible manager of this process. Through the MOU, we expect a wider exchange of information in the field of new technologies in order to assess their suitability for inclusion in the Slovak energy network.”
EDF First Vice President for new nuclear development Vakisasai Ramany welcomed “discussions on a programme for the construction of new nuclear facilities in the Slovak Republic, based on EPR1200 and Nuward SMR technologies”. He said EDF is committed to being a long-term partner of JAVYS and the Slovak Republic “for the development of an economically sound and efficient nuclear programme, drawing on its extensive experience, particularly from nuclear programmes in Europe”. He added that the agreement “is a key step in further consolidating EDF's objective of promoting access to a European nuclear fleet, based on European technologies and supporting a fully European supply chain, including Slovak industry”.
Slovakia has five operating nuclear power reactors – units 1&2 at the Mochovce NPP and units 3&4 at the Bohunice units 3 and 4 – in commercial operation, generating half of its electricity. Mochovce 3 was connected to the grid in February and unit 4 is under construction. These are all Soviet designed VVER-440 reactors. A siting permit application has been submitted to the Slovak Nuclear Regulatory Authority for a new NPP near the Bohunice plant, by Jadrová Energetická Spoločnosť Slovenska – a joint venture between JAVYS and Czech utility ČEZ. SMRs are also being considered and in June memorandums of understanding were signed with US-based Westinghouse on the possible deployment of its AP1000 reactor and AP300 SMR.
EDF’s EPR1200 is a derivative version of the EPR, the design of which takes into account feedback and experience gained from previous EPRs and EDF's operational fleet. Nuward is a 340 MWe SMR comprising two 170 MWe independent reactors housed in a single building.
Image courtesy of JAVYS
