The planned general overhaul of the fourth unit of Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant starts on Saturday, 14 May with the shutdown of the turbine generators. As every year, one fifth of the fuel in the reactor will be replaced during the overhaul. Slovenske elektrarne and contractors will inspect the reactor pressure vessel and carry out planned repairs to one of the plant's three redundant emergency safety systems.

Priority activities on the primary (nuclear) circuit components of the power plant include also scheduled works on three of the six steam generators, as well as overhauls of the two reactor coolant pumps.

On the secondary, non-nuclear circuit, the main activity is the overhaul of the stator and rotor of the high and low pressure parts of one turbogenerator. In parallel, Slovenske elektrarne will perform 26 investment projects to further enhance safety - works that cannot be done during normal operation. These include, for example, restoration of design reliability of sprinkler coolers of safety systems, or replacement of some 19 000 tubes in the main condenser on the turbine generator (TG41).

"We realise how important it is to carry out both overhauls at the Bohunice plant safely, efficiently and smoothly in this turbulent period. We are prepared in terms of personnel and material for all planned activities related to the overhauls," said Patrik Kašo, Director of the Bohunice power plant.

One month after this overhaul, the third unit of Bohunice NPP is scheduled to be shut down. Unit 2 of Mochovce will be the last to undergo a general shutdown in 2022. The overhaul of the first one was in April and lasted for three weeks.

Each of the four VVER 440 pressurised water reactors, which are the only type of reactor in operation in Slovakia, must be shut down at least once a year for a planned partial refuelling. All reactors in operation in Slovakia are owned by Slovenske elektrarne, a.s.