Under the Intergovernmental Agreement the two countries will cooperate across a broad range of nuclear energy activities “including reactor technology, supply chains, safety and security best practices, workforce development, and long-term project planning”.
Prime Minister Fico said: “I see this moment as a significant milestone in our bilateral relations, but also as a clear signal that Slovakia and the United States are united by a common strategic thinking about the future of energy – about its safety, sustainability, and technological maturity.”
US Energy Secretary Wright said: “Today’s civil nuclear agreement reflects our shared commitment to strengthening European energy security and sovereignty for decades to come. By deploying America’s leading nuclear technology, we are creating thousands of good-paying American jobs, expanding global markets for US nuclear companies, and driving economic growth at home.”
The US Department of Energy said the project to build a new Westinghouse AP1000 at the Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant in the Slovak Republic would “create thousands of American jobs across engineering, advanced manufacturing, construction, nuclear fuel services, and project management, while reinforcing US supply chains and expanding access to global markets for American-made nuclear technology”.
The Slovakian side said the hope was to put the proposed new unit into operation in 2040 or 2041. Fico said nuclear was low-carbon and provided energy and price security for the country. He added: “Our ambition is for this project to meet the highest standards of safety, economic efficiency and technological maturity, while at the same time to maximise the involvement of Slovak industry, research and workforce.”
The signing of the agreement took place on Friday 16 January. Another agreement was signed between Slovakia’s Eximbanka and the US Export-Import Bank on cooperation in financing nuclear projects.
Fico continued his visit to the USA over the weekend, joining US President Donald Trump for talks at the president’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
According to Fico, writing on Facebook, the leaders’ discussions covered a range of geopolitical issues as well as the intergovernmental agreement: “Both countries are fully aware that solving serious energy challenges is not possible through wind turbines or photovoltaics, but that the basis for the future is the rapid development of nuclear energy.”
The signing of the agreement came the day after it was announced that a feasibility study carried out as part of the USA’s Project Phoenix scheme had backed the suitability of small modular reactors in the Slovak Republic, potentially from as early as 2035.
Slovakia currently has five nuclear reactors generating about half its electricity, with one more reactor under construction. The first two, at Bohunice, went into commercial operation in 1984 and 1985, respectively, while Mochovce 1 and 2 were connected to the grid in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Construction of Mochovce 3 and 4 began in 1986 but was halted in 1992. It was later restarted and Mochovce 3 entered service in 2023, with work continuing on Mochovce 4. The Slovak government’s plans for a new large unit was approved in May 2024.
