Slovakia pays €49,995 for the first phase of a FEED study on an AP1000 reactor at Bohunice; the US covers the rest

State-owned Jadrová energetická spoločnosť Slovenska (JESS) on 5 November published the details of its contract with US-based Westinghouse Electric Company for a FEED (Front End Engineering and Design) study on a new nuclear unit using AP1000 technology at Jaslovské Bohunice. The company stresses that the document decides neither the technology nor the construction of the plant.

What was signed. The contract was signed on 28 October 2026. According to JESS, the study will assess the feasibility of a single AP1000 unit at the site: a preliminary licensing assessment and permitting plan, seismic and geotechnical parameters, existing infrastructure, cooling water supply and water management. The outputs include layout plans for the plant and the construction site, a preliminary procurement and logistics plan, a preliminary schedule and an indicative cost estimate for engineering and procurement.

The figures. The price is fixed. For the first phase, JESS pays €49,995 excluding VAT. The second phase, worth $5 million, is funded by a US Department of State grant paid directly to Westinghouse under an agreement dated 23 September 2026; JESS says it does not pay for it from its own funds. The study is expected to take about six months, according to the 28 October press release.

Context. The contract stems from the intergovernmental agreement between Slovakia and the United States of 16 January 2026. Westinghouse was selected through direct negotiation under Section 98 of Public Procurement Act No. 343/2015, and the contract is published in the Central Register of Contracts. According to World Nuclear News, the study follows ČEZ's agreement to sell its stake in JESS to state-owned JAVYS, and Slovakia is targeting 2040 for the new unit.

What comes next. JESS chief executive Tomáš Vavruška said the results would be "an important basis for the further assessment of the project". The contract does not oblige JESS to sign a contract with Westinghouse to build the plant, the company said, as also reported by the SITA news agency.

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