District heat scheme planned for Mochovce plant
Slovenské elektrárne has outlined details of a scheme to deliver heat for the town of Tlmače from the Mochovce nuclear power plant.
The aim would be to use 'waste' heat from the cooling circulation water at the nuclear power plant to provide a year-round supply of heat to Tlmače, which has a population of about 4000 people and is about 6 kilometres away.
The project would involve the construction of a hot water pipeline, an exchanger station, with the central heating operator esi Tlmače replacing its existing biomass and gas boilers with new water heat pumps.
An Environmental Impact Assessment has been submitted for the scheme which Slovenské elektrárne describe as being in its initial phase "with the selection of a technical solution and economic evaluation of the project under way. Implementation is currently scheduled for 2027, with completion in early 2028".
Although this would be the first such scheme at Mochovce nuclear power plant, Slovenské elektrárne's Bohunice nuclear power plant has had municipal heating schemes operating since 1987.
Slovenské elektrárne said the scheme will convert heat from the nuclear power plant "from a waste product into a valuable commodity", providing heat all year-round and without any CO2 emissions.