Slovakia strikes deal with US to build new state-owned nuclear reactor

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced that his government has approved an agreement with the United States to construct a new nuclear reactor at the Jaslovské Bohunice site in western Slovakia.

Speaking at an annual nuclear energy conference in Bratislava, Fico said the multi-billion-euro project would be carried out in partnership with the US company Westinghouse and would be fully owned by the Slovak state, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The reactor, with a projected output of more than 1,000 megawatts, will add to the country’s existing nuclear capacity.

Although the precise timeline for signing the deal remains unclear, the plan marks a significant step in Slovakia’s broader strategy to expand domestic energy production and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

A previous government proposal estimated the cost of the new unit at up to €15 billion (£12.8 billion), based on a design for a 1,200-megawatt facility at the same site where the utility Slovenské Elektrárne already operates two nuclear units.

Slovakia currently generates more than 80% of its electricity from nuclear power — one of the highest shares in Europe.

The project reflects a growing regional trend toward nuclear development. The Czech Republic has signed a deal with South Korea’s KHNP to build two additional reactors, while Poland is working with Westinghouse on its first nuclear power plant.

Russia’s state-owned Rosatom is also expanding its presence in Hungary with two new reactors.

By Aghakazim Guliyev