The Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic (MEES SR) issued to the Nuclear Energy Company of Slovakia, a.s. (JESS), a final opinion on the project of a new nuclear power plant (NPP) in Jaslovské Bohunice, in which it recommended the implementation of the proposed activity in terms of its environmental impacts.
The final opinion was issued on the basis of the results of the assessment process, the evaluation of the opinions of the affected entities, the public, interested parties and the addition of information by the proponent. It also takes into account the information provided in the report on the assessment of the effects of the proposed activity on the environment, which JESS submitted to the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic in August 2015. The issuance of the final opinion by the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic marks the end of one of the first important milestones of the project, namely the environmental impact assessment process ( EIA), which started in 2013.
The opinion recommends the implementation of the variants of the proposed activity as stated in the evaluation report. The recommended variant represents the construction and operation of a NJZ with one reactor block, a pressurized water reactor of generation III+, with a net electrical output of up to 1,700 MWe and related equipment. The expected design life of the power plant is 60 years. Part of the final opinion is also a summary of conditions and measures that will be taken into account in the next phases of the project.
The NJZ project is currently approximately halfway through the preparatory stage. The preparatory stage of the project should be completed with the selection of a specific supplier, including a suitable investment and financial model. It is only on the basis of the selection of a specific nuclear power plant project that further stages of the project can be started. Currently, JESS focuses on the processing of procurement documentation for the selection of a supplier.
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) process was carried out in accordance with Act No. 24/2006 Coll., on Environmental Impact Assessment, which ensures full compatibility with EU law and international conventions to which the Slovak Republic is bound. The NPP project is being prepared in accordance with Government Resolution No. 948/2008, the Energy Policy of the Slovak Republic 2014 and the Spatial Plan of the Higher Territorial Unit of the Trnava Self-Governing Region 2014. The issuance of the final opinion is the basis for further follow-up proceedings and permitting activities, in accordance with the Atomic and Construction Act.
Jadrová energetická spoločnosť Slovenska, a. s.
Jadrová energetická spoločnosť Slovenska, a. s., was established on 31 December 2009 by registration in the Commercial Register. The establishment of the company was approved by the Government of the Slovak Republic at its meeting on 9 December 2009. The establishment of the Nuclear Energy Company of Slovakia opened the way for the implementation of one of the most important projects in the history of Slovakia, the project of construction of a new nuclear power plant in Jaslovské Bohunice. JAVYS holds 51% of the shares in the joint venture, while the Czech partner in the project – CEZ Group – owns 49% of the shares. The share capital of JESS was set at EUR 216 357 000 (SKK 6.52 billion). The management control of the company operates on the principle of equality and consensus of both partners. The establishment of the Nuclear Energy Company of Slovakia was also approved by the European Commission in November 2009.