Project will supply 6,000 residents in nearby town of Tlmače
Slovakian utility Slovenské Elektrárne is planning to use “waste” heat from cooling circulation water at the three-unit Mochovce nuclear power station to provide a year-round supply of district heating to the nearby town of Tlmače.
The company, which operates nuclear, hydroelectric and fossil fuel power plants, said in a statement on 16 January that the project includes the construction of a hot water pipeline and heat transfer technology between the Mochovce nuclear station and Tlmače, which is about 6 km from the station and has a population of around 6,000.
Slovenské Elektrárne said the project is in its initial phase, but work is scheduled to begin in 2027 with completion in early 2028.
This would be the first such district heating scheme involving the Mochovce nuclear power station, although Slovenské Elektrárne’s two-unit Bohunice nuclear station has had district heating schemes operating since 1987.
Slovenské Elektrárne said the scheme will convert heat from the nuclear power station “from a waste product into a valuable commodity”, providing heat all year-round and without any CO2 emissions.
District heating systems take energy released as heat from a range of energy sources – in this case a nuclear power reactor – and connect it to energy consumers through a system of highly insulated pipes.
