Slovenské Elektrárne (SE), Slovakia’s power utility, has unveiled a new project aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The initiative will harness “waste heat” from the plant’s cooling water to provide year-round heating for the city of Tlmač, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the local heating system.
The project involves constructing a hot water pipeline and heat transfer technology connecting the Mochovce NPP to Tlmač. SE will handle investments related to the power plant, while private heating company Esi Tlmač will manage investments from the connection point to the Lipník estate, 6 kilometers away. Esi Tlmač has already submitted an environmental impact assessment for the project, which includes replacing existing biomass and gas boilers with water-to-water heat pumps and installing an optical network for data transmission.
The technical plan includes using the cooling water, currently returned to the river at a temperature of 25-36°C, to transfer heat via an exchanger into a closed secondary circuit. This heat will then be sold to Tlmač through SE’s subsidiary, Slovenské elektrárne – energetické služby.
The project is in its early stages, with economic evaluations and technical solutions underway. Implementation is planned for 2027, with completion expected in early 2028. Once operational, it will supply heat to 1,166 housing units and 12 public buildings, including schools, health centers, and a community pool.
While this is the first such initiative in the Mochovce region, SE has been producing heat for other cities from its Jaslovské Bohunice NPP since 1987. Unlike that state-funded project, the Mochovce initiative will be financed through private investments, aimed at reducing long-term reliance on less environmentally friendly heating methods.
Related topics: