Slovenské elektrárne is launching the implementation phase of the SE Integrátor project following the signing of three key technology contracts, representing approximately 80% of the project’s total value of €125 million. The contracts cover the modernisation of turbines and pumps, the supply of new motor-generators and the installation of frequency converters enabling variable-speed operation. The project will also include a large-scale battery energy storage system. Completion is scheduled for 2031.
Slovenské elektrárne is implementing the project in cooperation with Voith Hydro and GE Vernova, global leaders in their respective fields. The result will be a hybrid energy facility capable of providing faster and more precise support to the power system.
“The energy sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation, increasing the importance of technologies that can respond flexibly to changing grid conditions. SE Integrátor is an investment in the future of Slovakia’s energy system. Today’s signing marks the point where an ambitious vision moves into implementation. Together with our partners, Voith Hydro and GE Vernova, we are combining our experience with world-class technological expertise to strengthen grid stability, enable greater integration of renewable energy sources and build on the strengths of our existing infrastructure,”
Branislav Strýček, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Slovenské elektrárne
“SE Integrátor demonstrates how more than four decades of experience operating Čierny Váh can be combined with technologies that will shape the energy sector in the decades ahead. Once modernised, Čierny Váh will be able to provide services that are becoming increasingly important for the stable and secure operation of the power system,”
Milan Ilčík, Director of Hydropower Plants at Slovenské elektrárne
Slovenské elektrárne has secured support from the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Energy). The European Commission will contribute up to €62.6 million towards the modernisation of the pumped-storage hydropower plant. SE Integrátor has also been designated as an EU Project of Common Interest, supporting the security and resilience of Europe’s energy infrastructure and underlining the project’s strategic importance at European level.
The project was presented at today’s press conference by representatives of Slovenské elektrárne, Branislav Strýček, Chairman of the Board and CEO, and Milan Ilčík, Director of Hydropower Plants, together with project partners Dimitrios Parliaris, Sales Director for Power Conversion & Storage CEE at GE Vernova, and Peter MacLennan, President & CEO EMEA at Voith Hydro Europe.
With a 66% share of Slovakia’s total electricity generation, Slovenské elektrárne is the country’s largest electricity producer. Following the shutdown of Slovakia’s last coal-fired power plant in the first quarter of 2024, the company now generates all of its electricity without direct CO₂ emissions.
Slovenské elektrárne operates five nuclear units, 31 hydroelectric power plants and two photovoltaic power plants. The flexibility of the Slovak power system is also supported by two battery energy storage facilities: a 3.2 MW battery system at Dobšiná and a 36 MW battery storage facility in Nováky, the largest battery installation in Slovakia.
The company’s commitment to low-carbon electricity generation has made it a leader in sustainable energy production in Central and Eastern Europe. Slovenské elektrárne has been included five times in the prestigious Europe’s Climate Leaders ranking, compiled annually by the Financial Times and Statista since 2021.
