Slovakia

Country Profile

2. Policy and Incentives

10. Country Contacts

1. Overview of Electricity Supply

The Slovak government's energy policy is largely in line with EU regulations on liberalization. The utilities are in the process of privatization, with the government amending legislation so as to be able to privatize majority stakes in these 'strategic' industries. Slovakia is heavily dependent on oil and gas imports. The government is keen to diversify the sources of supply of these fuels, while retaining the country’s status as a transit country for Russian energy exports to Europe.

The Slovak market for electric power generation and distribution is small compared to other central European countries. Projections for electricity consumption over the next five years indicate that the Slovak power system will need to be expanded to meet growing demand. Electricity generation in the Slovak Republic is primarily dependent upon hydroelectric and nuclear resources with the balance in thermal plants (coal, natural gas, and oil).

The gradual removing of main barriers in the energy sector, primarily the elimination of cross-subsidies in pricing of heat and electricity, and factors like the unbundling of the vertically integrated monopolies, the high level access to the natural gas network throughout the whole territory of the Slovak Republic and the planned closure of the nuclear power plant Jaslovske Bohunice create favorable conditions for implementation of CHP projects on a competitive basis.

Up to now the grid network of Slovak Power system hasn’t connected with Austria and therefore a promising opportunity for U.S. companies of construction of the 400 kV transmission network is in future plans.

Slovakia
Country Summary Table

Demographical Information
Population, millions (2003)	5.4
Land area, thousand Ha (2002)	4,903
Macroeconomic Information (2003)
GDP, billion US$	32.7
Real GDP growth rate, percent	4.46
Foreign direct investment (net), million US$	549
Electricity sector
Electricity tariff, US¢/kWh (2002)	7.1
Collection rate, percent (2002)	95
Load utilization factor, percent (2000)	NA
Electricity disposition, billion kWh (2003)
Generation	29.71
Consumption	25.23
Exports	8.90
Imports	6.50
Generation capacity, GW (2003)
Nuclear	2.6
Thermal	3.2
Hydro	1.6
Other renewables	0.0
Total	7.4
Sources: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Electricity Grid of Slovakia

Electricity Generation by Type

Source: http://www.enercee.net (Energy in Central and Eastern Europe).

Renewable Energy Potential in Slovakia Renewable Energy Potential in Slovakia (TJ)

Source: Slovakia Ministry of Economy

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2. Energy Policy, Barriers and Incentives

The main priorities for the renewable energy policy are to develop the biomass sector, particularly for use in district heating, and to encourage a better awareness about the viability and reliability of renewable energy technologies in general.

According to the Slovak Energy Policy adopted by Slovak Government at 12th January 2000 the targets are:

· Utilization of renewables and increasing energy efficiency by Support schemes

· Implementation and building up new CHP plants

· Renewables will account for 4 percent of the total primary energy supply in 2005

· Increase the share of renewable and secondary energy sources

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3. Wind

The wind energy potential in Slovakia is relatively low due too a lack of locations with suitable wind conditions. Wind energy potential represents only 2.7 percent of the total renewable energy potential in Slovakia. There is currently 5 MW of wind energy capacity installed in Slovakia.

Additionally, the national utilities lack information and interest in Wind energy, representing a major barrier to their installation.

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4. Biomass

Biomass represents the largest potential renewable energy supply in Slovakia. However, at present biomass only provides 0.2 percent of energy in Slovakia. The biomass resources available in Slovakia include:

· forest biomass—firewood, branches, stumps, roots, bark, saw dust

· agricultural biomass—cereal and rape straw, hemp, animal excreta, wastes

· wood working industry wastes—trim, chips, saw dust

· municipal refuse—solid combustible waste, landfill gas, sludge gas

In Slovakia, SE, a.s., supports research into the utilization of biomass for cogeneration. The task is dealt with by VUJE Trnava, a.s. Receivable will be the implementation of a model source in a selected site.

Despite the extensive use of forestry wastes for energy production, it is estimated that only 10 percent of the potential resources are currently being utilized. The significant amount of forestry byproducts could potentially be used to generate electricity on a large scale, or more efficiently used to supply for heat residential and industrial needs.

Slovakia Biomass Resource Data

Biomass resource type	Total production	Production density
Percent of total land area covered by
Forests	40%
Shrublands, savanna, and grasslands	0%
Cropland and crop/natural vegetation mosaic	59%
Urban and built-up areas	1%
Sparse or barren vegetation; snow and ice	0%
Wetlands and water bodies	0%
Primary crop production, tonne	(avg. 1999-2001, tonne)	(tonne /1000 Ha)
Total primary crops (rank among COO)	11,836,718 (13)	2,462 (9)
Top 10 primary crops
Maize for Forage & Silage	2,030,749	422
Alfalfa for Forage & Silage	2,000,000	416
Mixed Grasses, Legumes	1,600,000	333
Wheat	1,445,191	301
Sugar Beets	1,219,845	254
Maize	646,917	135
Barley	601,870	125
Potatoes	401,399	83
Clover for Forage & Silage	350,000	73
Rapeseed	204,254	42
Animal units, number	(number)	(number / 1000 Ha)
Cattle	684,924	142
Poultry	12,682,000	2,638
Pigs	1,577,352	328
Equivalent animal units	1,442,685	300
Annual roundwood production	(1996-98, 000 m³)	(m³ / Ha)
Total	5312	1104.8
Fuel	416	86.5
Industrial	4896	1018.3
Wood-based panels	330	68.6
	(1996-98, 000 metric tons)	(metric tons / Ha)
Paper and paperboard	613	127.5
Recovered paper	116	24.1

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5. Solar

The Slovak Republic is situated between 48 and 50 degree geographic width. Solar radiation flux achieves maximum 1,050 kWh/m², so that a half of year its values are 806 kWh/m².

Significant solar energy potential is available for passive solar heating systems, especially in public buildings. There is also potential in large-scale solar thermal systems for district heating, though no such facilities currently exist in Slovakia.

Photovoltaic (PV) technology shows promise in areas which currently have no electricity supply. However, the electric grid currently covers 98 percent of the country. Development of PV technology by private companies for marketing purposes is possible as well.

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6. Geothermal

Slovakia is a country rich in low enthalpy geothermal sources. Geothermal water is used for recreation (swimming pools, spa), agriculture (greenhouses heating, fishery) and district heating. The efficiency of geothermal use is about 30 percent because of seasonal use. Therefore the district heating and hot water supply from geothermal water for the annual operation is supported.

The potential of geothermal energy is about 21,456 TJ/year. The Slovak Republic has good conditions for developing and using energy from thermal water. In Slovakia, the temperature rises on average 3°C per 100 m of well. Geothermal water supplies are divided by potential into renewed supplies and non-renewed supplies.

Geothermal waters in the Slovak Republic are being utilized at 35 locations offering an aggregate heating capacity of 75 MW and generation of 1,218 TJ/y. Slovakia has 25 prospective areas of geothermal resources with temperatures up to 150°C and in depths up to 5,000 m. The most abundant of them is the Kosice with potential of about 300 MW, where eight planned pairs of wells with an output of about 100 MWt to be used for central heating of the city of Kosice have hit Phase One of the implementation.

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7. Hydroelectric

Much of the hydroelectric development in Slovakia is throughout the Váh River valley, including its main tributary, the Orava River. The Váh basin takes up about 22 percent of Slovakia's area, and the hydroelectric development there accounts for 47.6 percent of Slovakia's hydroelectric power potential.

The largest hydro facility in the Váh basin is the Cierny Váh pumped storage plant, which was brought online in 1982 and has an installed capacity of 735 MWe. There are now more than 20 hydroelectric power plants on the Váh River, with a total installed capacity of more than 1,600 MWe. Several years ago, storage reservoirs were completed at Nosice, Hricov, Krpel'any, and Král'ová and have created a sufficient reserve of water that many of the hydropower facilities on the Váh River could operate at full capacity, rather than half-peak. This has significantly increased the amount of power generation from the Váh River basin.

The largest run-of-the-river plant is on a canal parallel to the Danube River with a capacity of 720 MW.

Inland Waters of Slovakia

Source: World Canals

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