<\/p>\n
Almost four decades after the fall of communism in Slovakia, a Soviet-designed reactor is finally about to produce power.<\/p>\n
Fuel loading began at the fourth and final unit of the Mochovce nuclear plant on Monday, paving the way for commercial startup by the end of the summer. It\u2019ll also be the fourth new reactor commissioned in the European Union in three years, underscoring the bloc\u2019s efforts to bolster clean power just as widespread electrification and a burgeoning data-center buildout boost demand.<\/p>\n
Completing the facility was far from easy. At 39 years, it\u2019s the second-longest construction time in the industry\u2019s history, reflecting difficulties with funding, changing safety regulations and faulty workmanship. The project also does nothing to reduce the EU\u2019s reliance on Russian energy, with Mochovce\u2019s nuclear fuel supplied solely by Rosatom\u2019s TVEL Fuel Co. \u2014 at least for now.<\/p>\n
The new plant will \u201censure we have a reliable energy supply at all times,\u201d said Branislav Strycek, chief executive officer of Slovenske Elektrarne, the utility controlled by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky that operates the complex. \u201cThis is a significant step forward for Slovakia and for the wider eastern European region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several countries in Europe are adding reactors in a bid to strengthen energy security without burning fossil fuels and jeopardizing climate goals. While renewables are also expanding at a rapid clip, nuclear plants can provide round-the-clock power, running regardless of weather conditions to stabilise the grid.<\/p>\n
The new reactor at Mochovce will come online just a few years after another unit at the sprawling site was connected to the network. France and Finland have also added atomic stations since 2023.<\/p>\n
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Russian dominance<\/p>\n
Despite efforts to curb reliance on fossil-fuel imports \u2014 including an EU phaseout of Russian gas by the end of next year \u2014 Moscow\u2019s grip on nuclear-fuel supplies persists. Indeed, Slovenske Elektrarne has stockpiled enough from TVEL to supply its six reactors until 2031.<\/p>\n
Yet the utility is also looking to diversify, working with both Westinghouse Electric Co. and France\u2019s Framatome on future supplies. The first deliveries from both companies are expected in 2028, although Framatome\u2019s fuel will initially be produced by a Franco-Russian joint venture and will only become fully European within about a decade.<\/p>\n
Russia accounts for an estimated 40% of the world\u2019s uranium enrichment capacity. Slovakia has objected to European Commission proposals for a swift wind-down of Russian nuclear-fuel imports, arguing that alternative global suppliers don\u2019t yet have sufficient capacity to meet demand.<\/p>\n
The EU does have its own enrichment capability. If the bloc were to stop other countries from using it, Slovenske Elektrarne could in theory cut out Russian fuel by 2032, Strycek said in an interview on Friday.<\/p>\n
Nuclear\u2019s swellingshare<\/p>\n
The new VVER-440 reactor at Mochovce is expected to generate about 3.5 terawatt-hours of electricity a year, boosting nuclear\u2019s share of Slovakia\u2019s total power generation to 77%, according to Strycek.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Work on the final two reactors at Mochovce began in 1987, but was halted in the early 1990s when the centrally planned economy collapsed following the fall of communism.<\/p>\n
It was Prime Minister Robert Fico who in 2008 pushed Italy\u2019s Enel SpA \u2014 Slovenske Elektrarne\u2019s owner at the time \u2014 to resume construction. It was expected to be completed in five years at a cost of about \u20ac2.8 billion ($3.2 billion), but the price tag ultimately ballooned to \u20ac6.7 billion.<\/p>\n
Only America\u2019s Watts Bar nuclear plant in Tennessee took longer to build, with construction lasting 43 years.<\/p>\n
Beyond Mochovce, the Slovak government has plans for another reactor at Jaslovske Bohunice in the west of the country, in cooperation with Westinghouse. The project remains at an early stage, with completion not expected until around 2040.<\/p>\n
Slovakia is already self-sufficient in electricity production, meaning all new capacity is expected to be exported.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 Bloomberg<\/p>\n
#Europes #newest #reactor #prepares #start #39year #wait<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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