Bohunice International Decommissioning Support Fund
Slovak Republic was committed for the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant Bohunice V1 (thereinafter „NPP V1“) in the years 2006 (1st unit) and 2008 (2nd unit) by the decision of the Government of Slovak Republic no. 801/99 dated 14 September 1999. The commitment for decommissioning of NPP V1 is the part of Energy policy adopted by the Government of Slovak Republic on 12 January 2000.
To support the Slovak Republic in the process of NPP V1 decommissioning, European Commission together with the governments of eight EU member states, established the Bohunice International Decommissioning Support Fund (thereinafter „BIDSF“) in the year 2001. BIDSF is administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (thereinafter „EBRD“). On 16 November 2001 was signed up the Framework Agreement between Slovak Republic and EBRD relating to the activities of BIDSF in Slovakia, establishing the legal basis for the BIDSF activities in Slovakia.
The contributors to the BIDSF are, besides the greatest one – European Commission, the EU member states Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and non-member states Switzerland and United Kingdom. BIDSF finances and co-finances selected projects in two main areas:
- Support of the NPP V1, units 1 and 2 decommissioning in a safe and cost effective manner;
- Support of the measures in the energy sector of the Slovak Republic consequential to the NPP V1 decommissioning, to mitigate the negative impact of the NPP V1 decommissioning by improving the efficiency of energy supply and consumption.
In the period 2003 – 2021 BIDSF contributed to financing of selected capital-intensive investment projects – measures for power transmission grid adaptation to the new conditions after the final outage and decommissioning of the NPP V1. The series of measures started with the overall reconstruction of the 400 kV switchyard in substation Križovany and implementation of the direct transformation 400/110 kV in this substation in the years 2005 – 2008. This was the necessary measure for the reliable operation of the power transmission grid of Slovak Republic after the final outage of the NPP V1. Next was the complex of investment projects in substations Bošáca and Medzibrod, where the power transformation 400/110 kV was reinforced and newly constructed respectively, together with construction of two single 400 kV transmission lines for feeding of 400 kV switchyard in substation Medzibrod. These projects were implemented in the period 2008 – 2013 with the contribution of BIDSF.
In the latter period, in years 2016 – 2021, the complex of projects “ES Bystričany – Transformation 400/110 kV” was implemented. Generally, it was an overall modernization of the substation Bystričany, connection of this substation to the power grid on 400 kV level and construction of power transformation 400/110 kV in the substation Bystričany. The project comprised, first of all, the construction of a new 400 kV switchyard and related civil objects in substation Bystričany. Other components were the enlargements of the 400 kV switchyards in substations Križovany and Horná Ždaňa and, the interconnection – new double circuit power transmission line 400 kV in route Križovany – Bystričany. These projects were implemented in the period 2016 – 2021 with the contribution of BIDSF.