Unit 3 of Slovakia's Mochovce nuclear power plant reaches 90% power

Slovakian energy company Slovenské Elektrárne has increased the power at unit 3 of the Mochovce nuclear power plant to 90%.

Energy start-up tests will continue until the next power level is reached, which will be 100%.

According to Slovenské Elektrárne, the complete functioning of the 3rd unit is expected to be reached between September and October this year and will be confirmed by a 144-hour demonstration run at 100% power. This will mark the end of the energy start-up stage.

The new nuclear unit in Mochovce will have an installed capacity of 471MW, which will cover approximately 13% of the total electricity consumption in Slovakia, states the energy company.

The Mochovce nuclear power plant is situated in the south of Slovakia, between Nitra and Levice. It consists of four blocks, the first of which began supplying electricity to the grid in the summer of 1998.

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The Mochovce NPP Units 3 and 4 project is based on pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology and includes some of the latest advances in safety.

The VVER 440 reactors include a 1.5m thick reinforced concrete envelope for containment, large volumes of water for cooling and triple backup passive and active safety systems.

The unit will operate for at least 60 years, increasing the country's energy independence.

Furthermore, the commissioning of the 3rd and 4th units of the nuclear power plant will contribute to reaching Slovakia's decarbonisation goals, ensuring the country meets EU carbon neutrality targets by 2050.

Compared to fossil fuel power plants, the new Mochov blocks will prevent the release of at least 5 million cubic meters of CO2 emissions annually, states Slovenské Elektrárne.

The International Energy Agency states that energy policy in the Slovak Republic is driven mainly by EU directives and requirements, as well as by high dependence on energy imports from Russia, making energy security a priority.

Slovakia currently has five operating nuclear power plants, according to the World Nuclear Association, which generate a total of 28.6TWh of electricity.