Oct 13 (Reuters) - Slovakia has delayed by a few days connecting the fourth unit of the Mochovce nuclear power plant to the grid, utility Slovenske Elektrarne said on Tuesday, as it continues start-up procedures before the reactor becomes fully operational later this year.
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Prime Minister Robert Fico had earlier said the connection would take place later on Tuesday and had planned to attend
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Slovenske Elektrarne, which operates the Mochovce plant, has said the new 471-megawatt unit should be fully operational by year-end
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The company began powering up the unit in September in a process that gradually increases reactor output.
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Once reactor power reaches 20%, the turbine generators can be synchronised with Slovakia's electricity system, allowing the first megawatt-hours of power to flow into the grid
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"Due to the need to repeat a technical test, we have postponed today's synchronization of Mochovce Unit 4 with the national grid," Slovenske Elektrarne said
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"This is a standard part of the commissioning process, and we expect to reach this milestone within the next few days"
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The unit will be the last to come online at the country's second nuclear plant after the third unit was connected to the grid in 2023
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Slovenske Elektrarne is majority owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's EPH group. The Slovak state holds a 34% stake and has expressed interest in increasing it
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The company has said previously that once the new unit enters operation, nuclear power will cover 77.5% of Slovakia's electricity demand, putting the country ahead of France in percentage terms
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Separately, the Slovak government plans to build a larger 1,200-MW nuclear power plant under state leadership
Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Mark Potter
Source: Reuters