During Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s visit to the US, he signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to advance cooperation on Slovakia’s civil nuclear power programme. Fico was accompanied by two ministers: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Denisa Saková and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanár.
According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), the agreement “includes the development of a new, state-owned American 1,200 MWe nuclear unit at the Jaslovské Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant, deepening the US-Slovakia strategic partnership and strengthening European energy security”.
Slovakia currently has five nuclear reactors (all Soviet-designed VVER-440 units) generating half of its electricity – three at Mochovce, which began operation in 1998, 1999 and 2023) and two at Bohunice, which began operation in 1984 and 1985. A fourth unit at Mochovce is still under construction.
In February 2023 Jadrová Energetická Spoločnosť Slovenska (JESS) submitted a request to the Slovakia’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority (UJD – Úrad jadrového dozoru) for a siting permit for a new NPP near the Bohunice plant. The government approved plans in May 2024 for a 1,200 MWe unit, with South Korea, the USA and France at the time seen as potential partners.
In August 2025, Fico said the European Commission had “positively assessed” a draft IGA between Slovakia and the US on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, adding that it was a prerequisite for the conclusion of IGA on the construction of a new Westinghouse unit in Bohunice. The following month ministers approved wording for a proposed IGA “on the construction of a new nuclear unit … which will be state-owned and will have an output of more than 1,000 MWe”.
DOE said the IGA “builds on President Trump’s commitment to advancing American energy leadership”. It added: “A project of this scale is expected to create thousands of American jobs across engineering, advanced manufacturing, construction, nuclear fuel services, and project management, while reinforcing US supply chains and expanding access to global markets for American-made nuclear technology. These efforts lay the foundation for sustained US engagement in Slovakia’s nuclear energy programme and support future civil nuclear projects across the region.”
DOE added: “The planned nuclear unit represents a multibillion-dollar energy infrastructure investment and one of the largest in Slovakia’s history. The project will support Slovakia’s transition away from reliance on Russian-designed reactors toward a diversified and resilient nuclear fleet, strengthening national energy security through cooperation with trusted Western partners.”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the agreement “reflects our shared commitment to strengthening European energy security and sovereignty for decades to come”. He also noted that by deploying American nuclear technology, “we are creating thousands of good-paying American jobs, expanding global markets for US nuclear companies, and driving economic growth at home”.
Fico said: “I see this moment as a significant milestone in our bilateral relations, but also as a clear signal that Slovakia and the United States are united by a common strategic thinking about the future of energy – about its safety, sustainability, and technological maturity.”
The agreement is expected to open formal talks with the US company Westinghouse, which is expected to build the new nuclear unit. However, the fact that the company was not selected through a public procurement procedure had sparked criticism from Slovak opposition parties in July 2025, when the decision to choose Westinghouse was made.
Michal Šimečka, president of Progressive Slovakia, said that the project’s price could skyrocket, its implementation could be delayed, and the Slovaks would ultimately pay the bill. He criticised the government for preparing the nuclear power plant project without involving the opposition and the public.
Karol Galek, an energy expert and representative of Freedom and Solidarity (Sloboda a Solidarita – SaS) believes that Fico is misleading people when with the Westinghouse choice, when there is no developed technology and financing. According to the SaS Vice-President, Marian Viskupič, the state should first complete Mochovce unit 4 before starting new billion-dollar investments.
In a message on X, recorded during his return flight to Slovakia, Fico said he expected criticism from the opposition. “Without nuclear energy Slovakia will not be secure,” he said. “That is why the construction of a new nuclear unit at Jaslovské Bohunice, fully owned by the state, is not a whim but a necessity.” He denied that the new unit would result in debt but would guarantee affordable power without the need for state subsidies. “The plant will be built with foreign investment, which will be repaid over time through the sale of the electricity produced.”
A post on Facebook, endorsed by Fico, reported that he had informed US partners that Slovakia is a country that has complex experience throughout the entire nuclear cycle – from the construction and operation of nuclear power plants to safety standards to the removal of nuclear facilities from operation and disposal of radioactive waste. “That’s why Slovakia is interested in building new nuclear power in Jaslovské Bohunice with power up to 1,200 MWe, which could be put into operation at the turn of 2040 and 2041. Our ambition is for this project to meet the highest standards of safety, economic efficiency and technological maturity, while at the same time maximising the involvement of Slovak industry, research and workforce,” Fico said.
The post also noted that, during the visit to the US, agreements were also signed between the Slovak Eximbanka and its counterpart Export-Import Bank USA on cooperation in financing nuclear projects, exchange of information and mutual progress.
The signing of the agreement came the day after it was announced that a feasibility study carried out under the US Project Phoenix scheme supported the suitability of small modular reactors for Slovakia.
