It appears that the Government is poised to agree on a large increase in the budget for the construction of two new reactor blocks at the Mochovce nuclear power plant (Nitra region) by €800 million, according to the Pravda daily on Tuesday.
This would mean that the original price tag for the project of €2.8 billion would swell to as much as €4.6 billion. The state owns a 34-percent stake in the electricity generator Slovenské elektrárne (SE), which is building the reactors. The construction work, which began in 2008, has taken considerably longer than originally planned. Instead of 2012 and 2013 SE is now claiming that the two reactors should be ready for use in 2016 and 2017. The final decision on increasing the finances is expected to be made this Friday, when SE will hold an extraordinary general meeting. Although there are indications that the Government will agree to the move, it has also argued that the state's role in the project should be boosted. Economy Minister Pavol Pavlis has stressed that he isn't satisfied with the manner in which the project is being carried out. He's pledged to “breathe down the necks of the Italians”, a reference to Italian company Enel, which owns the main 66-percent stake in SE.
