Slovakia may soon host Europe’s first commercial pumped thermal energy storage system (PTES).
On Friday, US-based Westinghouse Electric Company signed a memorandum of understanding with Slovakia’s state-owned Water Management Construction company (Vodohospodarska vystavba – VV) to explore building the facility. The agreement was signed in Washington in a ceremony attended by Slovak Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (SNS).
Minister Taraba said the project is crucial for Slovakia’s growing energy needs, especially to attract investment in artificial intelligence and digital industries.
The system would store surplus electricity – such as from hydropower – and release it when demand is high. It could deliver energy for up to eight hours or even several days, helping stabilise the grid and support renewable energy use.
A two-month feasibility study will now begin, followed by a year of engineering design work. The goal is to make the Westinghouse system operational by 2030, using local supplies and labour.
Source: TASR
