On 14 January 2010, the Slovenian utility, GEN-energija, sent an application to the Economy Ministry for a permit to build a second unit at the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant, the country’s sole nuclear site. The utility plans to build a generation III PWR reactor with a capacity between 1100MW and 1600MW.
The new unit, which is planned to be completed between 2020 and 2025, will replace the current one that generates around 40% of the country’s total electricity. The Krsko reactor has to be shut down by 2023, but the government is considering extending its lifetime.
The nuclear option is part of Slovenia’s new National Energy Programme that will be debated in the National Assembly this spring. The Parliament’s decision on the new unit expected later this year but it should not pose any problem since no parliamentary party opposes it.
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