The future of nuclear power in Slovakia

After the natural disaster in Japan in March which damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, voices are rising once again for the replacement of nuclear power by other sources of energy. Is it even possible? We spoke with Professor Ing. Vladimír Slugeň, DrSc., the Director of the Nuclear and Physical Engineering Institute at the Faculty of Electrotechnics and Informatics at Technical University in Bratislava as well as the president of the European Nuclear Society about the issues related to nuclear energy.

Renewable energy sources such as biomass, geothermal, wind, hydro, solar and biomass have all been considered as alternative sources. Based on European Commission Directives, energy in members states must be covered up to 20% using renewable sources by the year 2020 (in Slovakia up to 14%). Depending on the weather and other natural conditions, classic sources of energy remain in the picture. „In some countries, the share of renewable resources is already approaching 20 percent.“ With regards to our natural conditions, it is a bit delusional to expect their share to be above 15% by 2020. Today we are at a level of 6 to 7 percent. It is necessary to state clearly that a majority of renewable resources require backup sources that are based on coal, oil, gas or nuclear sources," states Profession Slugeň. The problem associated with oil, natural gas and coal is that they are dependent on global reserves. Current energy conditions around the world despite the catastrophe in Japan demand further discussion as to nuclear power as a so-far irreplaceable source. Increasing pressure to lower greenhouse gas emissions produced by fossil fuel power plants has led some of the member states in the European Union to soften their stance on nuclear energy.

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Facts about nuclear power plants

Nuclear power plants are a reliable source of power that are not dependant on the weather, day or night or the amount of light available or political and economic conditions around the globe. Nearly one third of electricity in EU countries is produced by nuclear power plants. „Replacing one third of electrical production from other sources is nearly impossible. It is definitely impossible within five years,“ thinks Slugeň. Renewable sources of course have advantages on the energy markets. The purchase price for nuclear power on the market is around €55/MWh while the state guarantees a purchase price for solar collector generated electricity at a level of around €345/MWh. „Despite the tremendous deformation of the energy market, the replacement of nuclear power plants will be difficult to achieve as they generate energy independent of any weather. The fact that the consumption of electricity more or less depends on economic development as well as the long-term tendencies for growth also speak in its favour. As oil reserves fall, the price of oil and likely gas will continue to rise and nuclear will remain the lowest price source,“ states the professor.
The energy security policy of the Slovak Republic also states that the main role in meeting demand over the long-term to 2030 will be the use of nuclear energy in addition to the use of natural gas and renewable sources.

Slovak nuclear power plants

The start of nuclear power generation in Czechoslovakia dates to 1957 when the construction of the A1 nuclear power plant started in Jaslovské Bohunice. This was completed in 1976 and was followed by a serious accident in 1977 during the continuous exchange of individual fuel rods. „Despite the fact that this accident was connected to a slight release of radioactive gases and was technically repairable, radiation and chemical degradation of some materials as well as increases in seal failures in some equipment lead to the decision to shut it down early,“ explained the professor. After shutdown, a concept for constructing nuclear power plants was adopted. In Bohunice, four reactors were to be constructed within the V1 and V2 power plants. In order to meet European regulations, Slovakia pledged to shutdown the V1 block, which it did in 2008.

In Mochovce, there are additional four blocks, the first of which went online in 1998 followed by the second one a year later. The construction of the third and fourth blocks was halted but work was once again started as it is a part of the Energy Plan of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic. Every block at the power plant produces around 3,000 GWh of electricity annually, which covers around 10% of the electrical demands of Slovakia. „The safety of VVER-440 reactors is high. We do not face the threat of tsunamis or similar floods to those at Fukushima. In addition our reactors are robustly constructed with a high level of passive safety elements at the primary and secondary loop levels,“ clarifies Professor Slugeň, who also adds that our power plants have undergone numerous international inspection missions in the last 20 years with positive results. In addition, Slovakia continues on with a program for increasing the level of nuclear safety and is already on the road to implementing new safety systems and global experience.

The future

Slovakia does not have the natural conditions for generating sufficient electricity using renewable sources. Slugeň states that the most significant in the case of Slovakia will be energy from biomass. „I recommend and support the rational use of all forms of renewable sources.“ Nuclear energy will remain an important source and, thanks to its price and accessibility, it will prove to be the best source. „We are knocking on the door of industrial applications for thermonuclear fusion. Development is leading to more advanced technology so that after 2100 we will likely consider the current construction of nuclear power plants as a part of our technical past,“ adds Slugeň.

Author: Tatiana Jurašková
Photo: archive Slugeň

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