The New Nuclear Power Plant Project continues with activities within the pre-preparatory stage
The implemented activities are proceeding in line with the main milestones and actions outlined in the Business Plan for the New Nuclear Power Plant Project (NNPP Project) in the Jaslovské Bohunice site for the period 2019–2025, which was approved by the company’s shareholders and updated at the end of 2021.
Siting of the nuclear facility
The application for a permit to site the NNPP under the Atomic Act at the Jaslovské Bohunice location was submitted in February 2023. The application concerned the siting of a nuclear facility with a new-generation pressurized water reactor and a gross installed electric capacity of up to 1,200 MWe. The submitted documentation was based on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, which resulted in a final statement obtained in 2016. Subsequent consultations and assessments of the documentation by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic (ÚJD SR) led to the submission of the final siting permit documentation in January 2024. On April 24, 2024, ÚJD SR issued to JESS a permit to site the nuclear facility, which became legally effective on May 30, 2024. The authority also approved the nuclear facility quality requirements and the proposed facility boundaries.
The process of siting NNPP structures under the Building Act will be coordinated simultaneously for the main NNPP facility as well as for related and induced investment structures, i.e., all structures necessary for the preparation, construction, and operation of the NNPP. JESS initiated this process at the beginning of 2023. By the end of 2025, the required documentation and supporting materials for obtaining the necessary statements are expected to be secured. The submission of the application for the NNPP and induced investment structures development intent (siting proposal) is planned for mid-2026.
Connection to the power grid
Activities related to connecting the NNPP to the Slovak power system focus on preparing the necessary documentation for the zoning procedure of structures associated with connecting the NNPP to the transmission and distribution networks. The proposed modifications to the distribution network, considering the planned start of NNPP operation (by 2039), were assessed in terms of the required capacity and the reliability of electricity supply in the region, as well as the reliable power supply of nuclear facilities at the Jaslovské Bohunice site.
The proposed approach to network modifications was discussed and accepted by all relevant stakeholders and is confirmed in the respective framework agreement. The agreed-upon substation connection scheme, together with the proposal for its integration into the transmission system, is currently being developed into project documentation for the zoning procedure.
At the same time, an analysis of the conditions and requirements for the modification of the transmission system is being prepared, with the aim of ensuring the concurrent operation of the NNPP and the EBO V2 nuclear power plant. Activities are also underway to prepare documentation for the NNPP supplier selection process, with a focus on the requirements for integrating new generation sources into the Slovak power system.
Consistency of the project with municipal and regional land-use plans
The process of incorporating the NNPP Project into municipal and regional land-use plans represents one of the fundamental conditions for submitting the documentation required to obtain a zoning decision. A total of 18 municipalities located in the Trnava self-governing region are affected by the project. By the end of 2024, the project had been incorporated into the land-use plans of 15 of them. In the remaining municipalities, the processes of preparing land-use plans have been initiated. In two affected municipalities, processes related to implementing changes were also addressed due to the need to update their land-use plans.
The objective of JESS is to ensure the incorporation of the NNPP Project into the land-use planning documentation of all affected municipalities as soon as possible, so that all prerequisites for the next stage of the NNPP permitting process are fulfilled.
Site-specific aspects
Since the very beginning of the NNPP Project, close attention has been paid to the geological and seismological conditions of the site. These aspects were assessed to an appropriate extent already as part of the Feasibility Study in 2012.
In 2024, cooperation was established with the Earth Science Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of Comenius University in Bratislava, with the aim of completing and analysing seismological data. The purpose of this collaboration is to reinterpret and refine the existing input data for the seismic hazard analysis of the NNPP site.
Cooperation also continues between the companies that operate or are preparing the construction of nuclear facilities in the area, with the aim of sharing information and data about the site. At the same time, the need for early data collection on groundwater at the proposed construction site was identified. In this context, suitable locations for the installation of monitoring structures and their parameters have been proposed.
In the field of water management planning, detailed geodetic surveying of the areas designated for the placement of the main water management facilities has been completed, and information exchange with the administrators of the affected watercourses has continued.
Transport of heavy and oversized components
One of the key tasks in the construction of the NNPP is ensuring the transport of heavy and oversized components, particularly the reactor vessel and steam generators, directly to the construction site. In this area, an analysis is underway of projects and works on the recommended transport routes that may affect the transport of such heavy and oversized components.
These activities include identifying critical sections, obstacles along the routes, and newly emerging collision points, which are being discussed with the responsible institutions and administrators of the relevant transport infrastructure with the aim of eliminating risks that could impact the feasibility of transport.
Due to the changing condition of the transport infrastructure, the requirements for the transport routes are also being periodically updated, and completed projects are being compared against Slovakia’s strategic documents.
EIA conditions
Project activities related to the conditions of the final statement of the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic from the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the New Nuclear Power Plant at the Jaslovské Bohunice site are continuously progressing. With the decision issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic, the fulfilment of the conditions of the final statement has been accepted for the current stage of the NNPP Project.
In relation to fulfilling these conditions, the following activities were carried out in 2024 in particular:
- Intensive cooperation with the affected municipalities in implementing the NNPP Project into their land-use plans, as one of the significant conditions for the further licensing process and project progress.
- Continued cooperation with the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic in updating the strategic document National Program for the Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel and Radioactive Waste in the Slovak Republic. JESS’s inputs were incorporated into the program. The public hearing on the report was held on October 23, 2024, with no additional requirements raised towards JESS.
- Preparation of a draft pre-operational monitoring plan from the perspective of radiation protection for the NNPP Project.
- Active communication with the relevant stakeholders, state and municipal authorities, network operators and owners in fulfilling the requirements of individual sub-projects, as well as cooperation with regional associations.
- Presentation of the NNPP Project status at the meeting between the Slovak and Austrian sides under the bilateral agreement.
- Cooperation with the contractor of the documentation for the zoning decision for the NNPP Project.
More information on current activities for individual years can be found in the Annual Reports section.
