Fico: Inclusion of Nuclear Fuel in RePowerEU Greatest Threat to Slovakia

Bratislava, 7 October (TASR) – The inclusion of nuclear fuel in the European Union's RePowerEU initiative represents the greatest threat to Slovakia, said Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) at the European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) held in Bratislava. Fico warned that such a move could harm the country's energy security. "We can never agree with RePowering when it comes to 1 January 2028, particularly regarding gas. Nor can we agree to decisions that would undermine our energy security. Given that today Slovakia generates over 60 percent of its electricity from nuclear energy, we are talking about a country that is crucial not only for the Slovak Republic but for the region as well," stated Fico. He highlighted Slovakia's ambition to be an innovative country, citing plans to develop small modular reactors and create a centre for processing and reusing spent nuclear fuel. Fico recalled that on 10 September of this year, the Slovak government signed an agreement with the United States concerning the use of infrastructure at the Jaslovske Bohunice nuclear power plant. A new nuclear unit with a capacity exceeding 1,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) is planned. According to Fico, this step will be important not only for Slovakia but for the whole of central Europe. He emphasised that Slovakia is a country capable of both constructing and decommissioning nuclear power plants. "I believe that the decommissioning programme at Jaslovske Bohunice is a model for the world, and it should be fully utilised. We need to train as many people as possible because we must also succeed in this part of the nuclear cycle," added Fico. The prime minister also pointed to increasing pressure to introduce electric cars, which will in turn demand additional energy sources. "With five car manufacturers and production exceeding one million vehicles annually, there is clear pressure for electromobility. We estimate that our electricity consumption may increase by 40 to 60 percent by 2040, and we'll need new energy sources. Slovakia must also position itself to attract data centres, which require vast amounts of electricity. Similarly, battery storage systems demand a great deal of energy," he stated. mf/df