Slovak power utility Slovenske Elektrarne and its partners have received a US government grant of $5m (€4.5m) to support the selection of the best site for the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the European country
The award is part of the US government-funded programme aiming to finance activities that will help countries to decide on, and prepare for SMR programmes.
It follows on from a separate US government scheme, Project Phoenix, which awarded $2m last year to fund feasibility studies into the potential for SMRs in Slovakia on the sites of former coal-fired power plants.
The grant will go towards consulting services around the technical and regulatory requirements for SMRs, cooperation with universities and nuclear facilities and strategies for the deployment of SMRs.
Slovenske Elektrarne said: “After the selection of the most suitable location… it will be necessary to carry out in-depth surveys on the site, which will ensure a clear and continuous path in the implementation of the SMR plan.”
Slovenske Elektrarne chairman and general manager Branislav Strycek said the demand for electricity in Slovakia will grow.
“Small modular reactors are not intended to replace our existing nuclear resources, which cover most of the consumption in Slovakia safely, reliably and without direct CO2 emissions,” he said.
“SMRs are intended to complement the energy mix for the country’s energy self-sufficiency in the future.
“The grant we received through international competition is great news. It gives us the opportunity to accelerate project preparations that are important for the success of our energy transformation.”
Earlier this year Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico said the Slovak government was set to approve the development of an additional large-scale 1,200 MW nuclear power unit.
Slovakia has five commercial nuclear reactor units – three at Mochovce in southwest Slovakia and two at Bohunice in the west of the country – all of the Russia-designed VVER-440 pressurised water reactor type.
The country’s latest unit, Mochovce-3, completed commissioning at the end of 2023. An identical unit, Mochovce-4, remains under construction.
The fleet has been generating about 59% of the country’s electricity. Mochovce-3 will bring the share of nuclear in the country’s electricity generation to about 65%, putting it second behind only France.
