Mochovce: Nitra Councillors Demand Check at Nuclear Power Plant Completion

Mochovce, September 12 (TASR) – Nitra region councillors as well as MP Radoslav Pavelka (SaS) are demanding that a check be carried out at the completion of the Mochovce nuclear power plant (Nitra region), TASR learnt from a statement released on Wednesday, expressing concerns about the quality of construction work and installed facilities at the power plant.

The councillors decided to call for the check at the power plant following the information recently reported by SME daily. “It was with great concerns we received the news about the possibly inadequate security measures provided during the completion of the third reactor block at Mochovce. The published information speaks of a great deal of amateurism, about workers carrying out professional work without the required certification or about using replacement generators despite their warranty being expired,” reads the statement.

In addition, the councillors wants Slovakia’s Nuclear Supervisory Authority (UJD) to invite the experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency to carry out an examination at the power plant before the third reactor block in launched into operation. They also want the result of the check to be public.

Costs for the completion of Mochovce power plant have already amounted to €5.4 billion. “We all contribute to the completion of Mochovce. As a 34-percent shareholder of electricity utility Slovenske elektrarne (SE) we had to give up almost €500 million in the form of dividend and this hole that emerged in the state budget was filled up from our taxes,” stated the councillors, adding that poor construction quality can jeopardise the lives of the inhabitants of the Nitra region.

“We all know how dangerous nuclear power is. We recall not only the Chernobyl accident, but also the recent accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant,” reads the councillor’s statement.