Regulator says Mochovce-3 commissioning decision deadline extended

摘要

Slovakia’s nuclear regulator has announced a six-month extension to its deadline for making a decision on the commissioning of the 471-MW Mochovce-3, citing delays to work on the unit caused by the coronavirus pandemic and additional time needed for the completion of required checks on hundreds of components. No exact deadline for issuing several related authorizations, which permit the reactor to be put into operation and the operator to manage radioactive waste, was specified in the June 17 statement, but officials had previously said approval was expected by this summer. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic, or UJD, said in the statement that the move to delay its decision over commissioning the VVER-213 unit had been made by the authority’s chairwoman, Marta Ziakova. UJD said that one of the reasons for the decision was a “significant decrease in construction activities at unit 3” between March and May due to measures taken by plant owner and construction manager, Slovenske Elektrarne, to reduce the risk of the spread of the coronavirus. The measures, which included a ban on foreign contractors on the site, significantly affected the level of completion of work required before a commissioning decision could be made, it added.