Slovakia’s prime minister Igor Matovič intends to set up an alliance of countries using nuclear energy in the European Union, the Slovak newspaper Pravda reported.
“I would like to form an alliance of countries that use nuclear energy. I want us to ensure that nuclear energy is seen as a cross between a source of clean energy and fossil fuels,” Mr Matovič said.
He said he wants to open up the topic with the bloc because there is a big difference when there is a country that has no electricity generated by nuclear power and everything comes from fossil fuels, and then there is a country like us that has plus or minus half the electricity from nuclear power plants. We pretend that nuclear power is as dirty as coal. That is not fair to me,” Mr Matovič said.
“I would like to form an alliance of countries that use nuclear energy. I want us to ensure that nuclear energy is seen as a cross between a source of clean energy and fossil fuels,” Mr Matovič said.
He said he wants to open up the topic with the bloc because there is a big difference when there is a country that has no electricity generated by nuclear power and everything comes from fossil fuels, and then there is a country like us that has plus or minus half the electricity from nuclear power plants. We pretend that nuclear power is as dirty as coal. That is not fair to me,” Mr Matovič said.
He said he expects support on the issue from France, which has a significant domestic nuclear energy industry and a fleet of 56 commercial nuclear reactors, the second highest number in the world behind the US.
Slovakia has four nuclear reactors in commercial operation, two each at Bohunice and Mochovce. Slovakia also has two plants under construction at Mochovce.
According to International Atomic Energy Agency statistics they provided 53.9% of the country’s electricity generation in 2019.
