Slovakia received 101 million euros from the EU for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Blanár stated
31. marca 2025
Slovakia has received 101 million euros from European funds for energy projects aimed at the reconstruction of Ukraine. This was announced on Monday at a press conference by Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Juraj Blanár (Smer) together with the General Director of Eximbanka Rastislav Podhorec.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs (MZVEZ) with its subordinate organization, which is the Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation (SAMRS), applied for a package of 101 million euros, which is specifically intended to go to projects that we identified within the framework of a mutual agreement between the Ukrainian and Slovak governments," Blanár stated, adding that 11 entities participated in the EU call within the Ukrainian Investment Framework program. Of these, eight were successful, including Slovakia, with MZVEZ participating in the call together with Eximbanka.
The head of the foreign affairs ministry emphasized that these projects are good for Slovakia in terms of supporting entrepreneurs who will participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine. "The energy system is very important; today, the Slovak Republic already supplies Ukraine with a significant amount of electrical energy due to the large outages caused by the fact that more than 70% of the electrical system in Ukraine is destroyed," Blanár specified.
He recalled that last autumn, the government approved the so-called framework for Slovakia's involvement in the reconstruction of Ukraine, with one of the projects being the modernization of the Mukachevo – Veľké Kapušany – Lemešany interconnector transmission system. Further plans include reconstructing the 400 kV (kilovolt) substation in Mukachevo, building a new 400 kV substation in Uzhhorod, and a hydroelectric power plant for an independent green island.
"We expect that the amount for the reconstruction and construction of these projects will be in the value of 100 million euros, where 20 million euros will be covered by a grant component and 88 million euros will be covered by Eximbanka. Of those 88 million euros, 80 million euros will be guaranteed by a European Commission guarantee. In practice, this means that Eximbanka and Slovakia will essentially approach increasing the security and stability of the Ukrainian energy network," added Podhorec, noting that these projects will be implemented in the western part of Ukraine, where there is currently a higher concentration of population.
The financial resources will be allocated to two Ukrainian energy companies that operate the energy network in Ukraine. Slovakia will help Ukraine prepare public procurement through SAMRS, thereby enabling Slovak entrepreneurs to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Souce: TASR. “Slovensko získalo z EÚ 101 miliónov eur na obnovu Ukrajiny, uviedol Blanár.” Pravda.sk, March 31, 2025. https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/746614-slovensko-ziskalo-z-eu-101-milionov-eur-na-obnovu-ukrajiny-uviedol-blanar/. Accessed: 31. 3. 2025
He recalled that last autumn, the government approved the so-called framework for Slovakia's involvement in the reconstruction of Ukraine, with one of the projects being the modernization of the Mukachevo – Veľké Kapušany – Lemešany interconnector transmission system. Further plans include reconstructing the 400 kV (kilovolt) substation in Mukachevo, building a new 400 kV substation in Uzhhorod, and a hydroelectric power plant for an independent green island.
"We expect that the amount for the reconstruction and construction of these projects will be in the value of 100 million euros, where 20 million euros will be covered by a grant component and 88 million euros will be covered by Eximbanka. Of those 88 million euros, 80 million euros will be guaranteed by a European Commission guarantee. In practice, this means that Eximbanka and Slovakia will essentially approach increasing the security and stability of the Ukrainian energy network," added Podhorec, noting that these projects will be implemented in the western part of Ukraine, where there is currently a higher concentration of population.
The financial resources will be allocated to two Ukrainian energy companies that operate the energy network in Ukraine. Slovakia will help Ukraine prepare public procurement through SAMRS, thereby enabling Slovak entrepreneurs to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Souce: TASR. “Slovensko získalo z EÚ 101 miliónov eur na obnovu Ukrajiny, uviedol Blanár.” Pravda.sk, March 31, 2025. https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/746614-slovensko-ziskalo-z-eu-101-milionov-eur-na-obnovu-ukrajiny-uviedol-blanar/. Accessed: 31. 3. 2025
Gas as a Test of Slovakia's Resilience: Energy Security Does Not End with the Price of the Commodity
The upcoming heating season is a reminder that security of energy supply is not merely a question of the market. The Echo24 portal has drawn attention to an analysis by Oxford Economics, according to which this may be the European Union's most demanding winter in terms of energy supply since the crisis period of 2021–2022. The reasons cited are a combination of slower filling of storage facilities, geopolitical risks, supply outages, drought affecting electricity generation, and higher demand for gas in the power sector.
Nadchádzajúca vykurovacia sezóna pripomína, že bezpečnosť dodávok energie nie je len otázkou trhu. Portál Echo24 upozornil na analýzu Oxford Economics, podľa ktorej môže byť pre Európsku úniu najnáročnejšou zimou z hľadiska dodávok energie od krízového obdobia rokov 2021 – 2022. Dôvodom má byť kombinácia pomalšieho plnenia zásobníkov, geopolitických rizík, výpadkov dodávok, sucha ovplyvňujúceho výrobu elektriny a vyššieho dopytu po plyne v energetike.
We continue our series dedicated to essential services under Act No. 367/2024 Coll. on critical infrastructure. This time we focus on a service whose importance is growing alongside the transformation of the energy sector – electricity storage.
Pokračujeme v našej sérii venovanej základným službám podľa zákona č. 367/2024 Z. z. o kritickej infraštruktúre. Tentoraz sa zameriavame na službu, ktorej význam rastie spolu s transformáciou energetiky – uskladňovanie elektriny.
Commentary by the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic Europe is experiencing another wave of extreme heat, which is shifting from an exceptional phenomenon into a new standard. Record temperatures, prolonged drought, and the overheating or decline of watercourses can no longer be viewed solely as an environmental problem. They are increasingly affecting the functioning of the state and threatening the continuity of its basic services.
Komentár Asociácie kritickej infraštruktúry Slovenskej republiky Európa zažíva ďalšiu vlnu extrémnych horúčav, ktoré sa z výnimočného javu menia na nový štandard. Rekordné teploty, dlhotrvajúce sucho a prehrievanie či pokles vodných tokov už nemožno vnímať výlučne ako enviromentálny problém. Čoraz výraznejšie zasahujú do fungovania štátu a ohrozujú kontinuitu jeho základných služieb.
Series: Essential Services of Critical Infrastructure For decades, the electricity system was built on the principle of a few large power plants supplying millions of consumers. Today, however, the energy sector is changing faster than ever before. Thousands of photovoltaic power plants, wind sources, battery storage systems, heat pumps, smart buildings, and charging stations for electric vehicles are entering the grid. Electricity no longer flows in only one direction – from producer to consumer. The modern electricity system is becoming a dynamic ecosystem in which both producers and consumers are active market participants.
Seriál: Základné služby kritickej infraštruktúry Elektrizačná sústava bola desaťročia budovaná na princípe niekoľkých veľkých elektrární zásobujúcich milióny odberateľov. Dnes sa však energetika mení rýchlejšie ako kedykoľvek predtým. Do siete vstupujú tisíce fotovoltických elektrární, veterných zdrojov, batériových úložísk, tepelných čerpadiel, inteligentných budov či nabíjacích staníc pre elektromobily. Elektrina už neprúdi iba jedným smerom – od výrobcu ku spotrebiteľovi. Moderná elektrizačná sústava sa stáva dynamickým ekosystémom, v ktorom sú výrobcovia aj odberatelia zároveň aktívnymi účastníkmi trhu.
Industry is one of the sectors where the importance of critical infrastructure becomes very tangible. Not in abstract definitions, but in the state’s ability to maintain the availability of medicines, the continuity of metallurgical production, supplies of key chemical substances, functioning supply chains, and technological self-sufficiency at times when standard market mechanisms may not be enough.
Priemysel patrí medzi sektory, pri ktorých sa význam kritickej infraštruktúry ukazuje veľmi konkrétne. Nie v abstraktných definíciách, ale v schopnosti štátu udržať dostupnosť liekov, kontinuitu hutníckej výroby, dodávky kľúčových chemických látok, funkčné dodávateľské reťazce a technologickú sebestačnosť v časoch, keď štandardné trhové mechanizmy nemusia stačiť.