Canada-based Cameco has finalised a new long-term agreement to supply natural uranium hexafluoride (UF6) to Slovak power utility Slovenské elektrárne (SE) for use in its nuclear power plants. Details of the contract are commercially confidential.
The agreement consists of uranium and conversion services and is expected to provide a diversified source of natural UF6 for SE until 2036. The material will support operations at SE’s Bohunice and Mochovce NPPs starting in 2028. In July, SE signed a contract with Urenco Group for the supply of enriched uranium for Bohunice and Mochovce until the mid-2030s.
“With this long-term agreement, we are adding a new market to our global commercial portfolio and supporting Slovakia with a stable, reliable supply of uranium fuel that is expected to enhance energy security in the region,” said Cameco CEO Tim Gitzel.
“Conversion is one of the most critical parts of the nuclear fuel cycle – the process by which natural uranium is converted into a form suitable for enrichment and reprocessing.” said SE Chairman & CEO Branislav Strýček. “Slovenské elektrárne has succeeded in securing a long-term and reliable supply of a significant share of this key raw material until 2036, which is a significant step for Slovakia’s energy security. The contract is strategic for Slovenské elektrárne – allowing us to diversify our suppliers, reduce our dependence on one source, and at the same time guarantee the smooth operation of our nuclear power plants.”
Meanwhile, Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has reportedly unsettled Washington after suggesting that Russian firms could take part in building a new NPP – despite sweeping Western sanctions against Moscow and the deepening confrontation over Ukraine.
Fico told reporters after a recent meeting with Vladimir Putin in China that he would “welcome US–Russian cooperation” on the planned Jaslovské Bohunice nuclear plant. He added that he would encourage Russian companies to establish contacts with the US reactor maker Westinghouse, which Bratislava had previously chosen as a partner. However, no inter-governmental agreement has yet been signed
Diplomats told Slovak media outlet Denník that the US considered any cooperation with Russian nuclear firms out of the question – not even in the form of subcontracting. “Americans as a whole – and Westinghouse in particular – are extremely sensitive to the risk of losing know-how,” they said. However, Fico’s remarks have placed a question mark over the project.
