Slovakia to connect Mochovce nuclear power plant's fourth unit as ramp-up continues

Slovakia Connects Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant’s Fourth Unit to Grid

Milestone in Slovakia's Nuclear Energy Expansion

Introduction and Key Announcement

Oct 13 (Reuters) - Slovakia will connect the fourth unit of the Mochovce nuclear power plant for the first time on Tuesday, taking a further step towards it becoming fully operational, Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

Details of the Mochovce Fourth Unit

Operational Timeline and Capacity

• Slovenske Elektrarne, which operates the Mochovce plant, has said the new 471-megawatt unit should be fully operational by year-end

• It began powering up the unit in September in a process that gradually increases reactor power

Grid Synchronisation Process

• With reactor power having reached 20%, the turbine generators can be synchronised with the Slovak electricity system, allowing the first megawatt-hours of electricity to flow into the grid

• "This very evening, we will witness the so-called synchronisation of this unit with the grid," Fico said at a nuclear energy forum. "Once operational, Slovakia will gain another stable (energy) source"

Significance for Slovakia's Energy Sector

• The unit will be the last to come online at the country's second nuclear plant, after the third unit was connected to the grid in 2023

• Slovenske Elektrarne is majority owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's EPH group, and the Slovak state has a 34% stake that it has expressed interest in increasing

• The company said previously that after the new unit goes into operation, nuclear power would cover 77.5% of Slovakia's demand, ahead of European leader France in percentage terms

Future Nuclear Developments

Plans for a New Power Plant

• The Slovak government is separately planning to build a larger, 1,200-MW power plant under state leadership

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)