Slovenia considers referendum on second unit for Krsko NPP

3 November 2022


Slovenia's government is considering holding a referendum on whether to construct a second reactor at the Krsko NPP, Prime Minister Robert Golob has said. People must be given the opportunity to make a decision on a second reactor once experts come up with technical solutions, and all necessary permits are obtained, he noted in a press release.

His statement followed a visit to the NPP, which is currently closed for maintenance and upgrading, where he emphasised the importance of nuclear power. He added it would be difficult for Europe to overcome the current issues in the energy sector without utilising all technologies. Stanislav Rožman, President of the Management Board of operating company Nuklearna Elektrarna Krsko (NEK), said that Krško would be ready for another 20 years of operation after the overhaul. A 20-year extension to its initial 40-year operational lifetime was confirmed in mid-2015. The Slovenian government has said that a construction decision on a new unit will be taken by the end of 2027.

In July 2021, Slovenia's Infrastructure Ministry issued a permit for the construction of a second unit at Krsko, but the decision faced opposition from neighbouring Austria. Krsko NPP, located in Slovenia near the border with Croatia, generates some 40% of Slovenia's electricity output. The 696 MWe Westinghouse pressurised water reactor, which is some 100 kilometres from the Austrian border, is Slovenia's only NPP and generates about one-third of its electricity. The plant, which began commercial operation in 1981, is co-owned by neighbouring Croatia. NEK is co-owned by Gen-Energija and Croatian power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP).


Image: Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob (courtesy of Krsko NPP)



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