On June 5, 2019, during the visit of Prime Minister of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini to Moscow, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes was signed between Rosatom and Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic.
On the part of Rosatom, the document was signed by Director General Alexey Likhachev, on the part of Slovakia – by Minister of Economy Peter Žiga. The signing took place in the presence of Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini.
The parties are interested in further expanding the current bilateral cooperation in the use of the peaceful atom. The document identifies areas of cooperation in service and modernization of Slovak NPPs, ensuring safe and uninterrupted supply of Russian nuclear fuel, implementation of promising projects for the construction and decommissioning of NPPs in the Slovak Republic, participation of Slovak organizations and companies in the supply of equipment and services for NPP construction projects implemented by Rosatom. The parties also agreed to develop training projects for the nuclear industry, share experiences and best practices.
To determine specific joint projects aimed at developing cooperation, the Parties will establish a Joint Coordinating Committee.
“Nuclear energy has been the major energy source of the Slovak Republic for half a century. More than 55% of Slovakia’s energy is provided by VVER reactors. This agreement is planned to strengthen our mutual relations in the nuclear sphere, jointly implement projects in third countries, and strengthen the exchange of knowledge and experience. During our cooperation, more than one generation of high-class specialists has grown up, who pass on their knowledge, ensuring the energy security of Slovakia for the years ahead,” said Alexey Likhachev, Director General of State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom.
“The use of electricity generated by nuclear power plants is essential for the Slovak economy and a question of national energy security. At the same time, it should be stressed that it is a carbon-free energy that does not use any fossil fuel such as coal and actively helps to strike against global warming. Moreover, Slovakia is a country that has been producing nuclear energy safely for decades and wants to develop these experiences,” – said Minister of Economy of Slovak Republic Peter Žiga.
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Nuclear generation with a total electrical capacity of 1940 MW is the basis of the Slovak energy system. Two units of the Bohunice NPP (1984-1985) and two units of the Mochovce NPP (1998-1999) annually produce about 15 billion kWh of electricity, about 55% of the total electricity generation in the country. The number of nuclear power plants in the energy balance of Slovakia is one of the highest in the world.