Westinghouse could supply additional large-scale reactor for Bohunice site
Slovakia is planning to sign an agreement with the US on cooperation in nuclear energy that could lead to a new unit at the existing Bohunice site in the west of the country, prime minister Robert Fico, according to press reports.
Slovakia has been negotiating with Washington since last year to build an additional large-scale nuclear reactor at Bohunice.
“In cooperation with American partners, we want to build a new huge block in purely state ownership on the grounds of the existing nuclear power plant in Jaslovske Bohunice,” Fico said, without providing details.
Fico also said he wants to participate in the signing of a more general agreement on cooperation between Slovakia and the US in the nuclear field. That signing is scheduled take place on 16 January in Washington. He did not provide more detailed information about the signing of the agreement.
In October, the Slovak government approved an intergovernmental agreement with the US on the construction of a new power unit, and in December, Fico said that US president Donald Trump had invited him to the US during this year’s World Cup in June and July to sign an agreement on nuclear energy between the two countries.
Bohunice is one of Slovakia’s two nuclear power station sites and has two Russia-designed VVER-440 pressurised water reactor units operated by Slovenske Elektrarne.
The other site is Mochovce, which has three Russia-supplied operational plants and one, also supplied by Russia, under construction.
In 2024, the Slovak government approved plans to develop a new unit at Bohunice with a capacity of around 1,200 MW and a target operational date of 2040.
“It is a huge investment. We are talking about a new unit with output of 1,250 MW,” said Fico last year, without disclosing a value for the potential deal.
In 2023, Westinghouse signed two agreements with Slovak state-owned nuclear company Javys for the potential deployment of AP1000 reactors and AP300 small modular reactors.
