The economic weekly TREND writes about us: The Role of VUJE was Crucial in Starting up the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant

Nothing of major importance in Slovakia’s nuclear energy sector happens without VUJE’s involvement. The company has become an indispensable part of the energy industry, research, and nuclear safety - not only in the era we are currently living in.

Title photo: Matej Korec, CEO and Member of the Board VUJE, a. s.

UNIQUE WORKS IN MOCHOVCE

Given the current geopolitical context and the focus on sustainable development, nuclear safety is crucial, and VUJE plays a leading role in this segment. Their expertise lies in commissioning of nuclear units and decommissioning of nuclear facilities, particularly those using the VVER technology. No other organisation in Slovakia can match their expertise in this area. The company from Trnava was at the beginning of the completion of the Units 3&4 in Mochovce.

VUJE’s involvement in the completion of the Units 3&4 in Mochovce began in 2007 after winning a tender for redesign of the original project, dating back to the 1980s. So VUJE incorporated all enhancements implemented in previous modernizations of VVER reactors and necessary specifications mentioned in the European Utility Requirements (a document outlining the needs of reactor operators across the EU). Consequently, based on this revised design, safety documentation was prepared, leading to approval of continuation of the project (including the loading of nuclear fuel to power plant and commissioning) by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic.

"We had to perform all necessary tests, from physics tests to load testing of turbines," recalls Peter Liska, an internationally recognised energy expert and Deputy CEO of VUJE. The scope of testing was wide-ranging, covering nearly 2000 individual tests, from reactor systems up to test of turbine island systems.

The commissioning of the third unit has made Slovakia self-sufficient in electricity production. Concerning Slovakia, after commissioning of the Units 3&4 in Mochovce nuclear will generate approximately 23 TWh of electricity annually, while Slovakia’s total energy demand is around 30 TWh per year. Hydropower provides additional 5 TWh, and the rest comes from other sources.

"Nuclear power will covers roughly 75% of Slovakia’s energy consumption, and VUJE is an indispensable part of that," Peter Liska confirms.

Peter Líška, Deputy Director-General of the VUJE, a. s.

DECADES OF EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

After signing an EPC contract with the Slovenske elektrarne in 2008, VUJE assembled a dedicated team of experts to complete the Units 3&4 in Mochovce.

„We established a new division within the company, which at its peak had 120 personnel“ notes project director Filip Krajcovic. Today, 52 of these specialists remain focused on completing the Unit 4. „No other organisation understands the technology used in these reactors as well as we do—not even the French,” Krajcovic adds. VUJE’s experts possess in-depth knowledge of nuclear safety, not only from scientific and technical perspective but also through decades of hands-on experience. This expertise allows VUJE to identify potential issues with the reactor types used in Slovakia and neighbouring countries.

These unique insights, combined with VUJE’s geographical proximity, offer significant time savings and cost reductions for their partners.

Our nuclear safety team includes physicists and thermohydraulic specialists who analyse all possible accident situation, alongside mechanical and electrical engineers, information and control specialists and engineers overseeing every system in the power plant,” explains Peter Liska, who has been working in VUJE since its inception and guarantees conceptual work in the segment of safety of nuclear facilities.

VALUES AND VISION

Currently, VUJE has more than 700 employees, with two-thirds of them university educated.  The workforce is a mix of pre-retirement age professionals and young graduates.

“Our combination of highly experienced individuals and enthusiastic new graduates creates a dynamic mix of youthful energy and irreplaceable knowledge,” says Krajcovic. He adds, “When we design and build a system, it’s like adding something to our own body. It must communicate perfectly with the rest of the organism.”

In the field of nuclear safety, where VUJE holds a unique position in Slovakia, the company’s activities extend beyond national borders - VUJE implements professional activities in the nuclear power plant Dukovany and Temelin in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Armenia, and has previously worked on projects in Vietnam, Pakistan and China. They are also involved in the construction of the UK’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Additionally, VUJE regularly manufactures and supplies manipulators for plugging heat exchanger tubes for steam generators for large Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Their focus remains on ensuring the quality of supplied equipment, safety systems and the continuous modernisation of nuclear units.

On the left: Filip Krajčovič, VUJE Team Leader, Hinkley Point.

CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVITY

According to Matej Korec, VUJE´s CEO and a member of the board, the virtue of the whole team and young top management is critical thinking and creativity. "We build our success on our staff and with them, we accomplish the most demanding projects in the most challenging markets" he emphasises.

New technologies and industries are gradually transforming the way we live and work, and CEO Matej Korec sees the VUJE advancement in innovations over the next decade. Alongside their standard services and broad-spectrum activities in energetics, VUJE is focusing on present topics like modular reactors, mid-sized reactors, GEN IV reactors, electromobility, hydrogen, aerial diagnostics, and artificial intelligence in diagnostics etc. "Vision is essential to our successful path towards achieving ambitious goals," Matej Korec concludes.

Matej Korec, CEO: “VUJE’s success is built on its employees, who help us accomplish the most demanding projects in the most challenging markets.”