Serbia is responsibly and gradually developing its nuclear energy programme in line with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Milestones Approach, with the ultimate goal of starting the construction of its first nuclear facility by 2035. Minister of Mining & Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović detailed these plans during the opening of a specialised workshop for the National Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organisation (NEPIO) in Belgrade. This follows Serbia’s lifting of its 35-year ban on nuclear power plant construction in late 2024.
The IAEA Milestones Approach is a comprehensive, phased methodology developed by IAEA to help embarking countries systematically build the necessary national infrastructure for a safe and peaceful nuclear power programme. It splits the development process into three progressive phases, each culminating in a definitive milestone. Across all three phases, the country must continually evaluate and satisfy 19 specific nuclear infrastructure issues (such as nuclear safety, regulatory frameworks, funding, grid integration, and radioactive waste management).
“We have defined the project tasks for the preparation of all the necessary studies in accordance with the methodology of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the approach to the development of nuclear infrastructure (IAEA milestones), said Handanović. “The preliminary study on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes that we have done with the French electric power company (EDF) has already given us some answers.”
She added that it had been decided, based on previous cooperation with EDF, “that EDF will produce four more studies in the first phase, while the other 14 will be the subject of further consideration with various companies from which we have gathered interest, which have extensive experience in the development of nuclear programmes at the European and world level and which have participated in the development of nuclear programmes in other countries”
She said the goal is to complete the first phase by the middle of next year, “when we will have all the information needed to make an informed decision on the further development of the nuclear programme”. She noted that, by 2032 “we expect to be ready, in institutional, regulatory and professional terms, to select technology and begin the construction process, by 2035.
The initiative is backed by a joint agreement signed by five Serbian ministries, 20 scientific faculties, and state-owned energy utilities to cultivate necessary domestic engineering personnel and academic infrastructure.
In March, the government presented the findings of the preliminary EDF study and formally integrated the nuclear plan into its Serbia 2035 national strategy, budgeting €3bn ($3.4bn) for the programme. “It seems that we are a long way from that date, but there is a lot of work ahead of us, which is why we must not waste time,” said Handanović. “We have great ambitions and without them there is no result. I am convinced that we have a generational opportunity that we must not miss in order to leave behind something that is capital-worthy and that gives an opportunity for Serbia to develop and be more energy-secure.”
Noting the growing number of countries around the world that are launching or considering the development of new nuclear programmes, she added: “The coming” era of electricity ” means that development will increasingly rest on data centres, artificial intelligence, electrification of industry and transport, which will require significantly more electricity. Meeting the growing needs for energy, from clean sources, is difficult to imagine without nuclear energy.”
She emphasised the importance of the development of local professional staff and welcomed the initiative of the Vinca Institute for Nuclear Sciences and the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad to launch a master’s degree programme for the education of future nuclear engineers. In early July 2026, the two leading institutions signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at resolving Serbia’s severe deficit in domestic nuclear engineering experts. The alliance is designed to rebuild the intellectual capital that was lost following the 1989 nuclear moratorium.
“Without local experts, there is no successful nuclear program. That is why we expect the members of the NEPIO body to approach this work with full commitment because they are part of a historic moment for Serbian energy. Just as generations of engineers and experts four and five decades ago built energy capacities that still provide security of supply today, so today’s generation will shape the future of Serbian energy for decades to come,” she concluded.
Serbia is carefully weighing a balance between conventional large-scale reactors and advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) to achieve a target capacity of 1,200 MWe to 1,650 MWe. The overarching plan is backed by the €3bn development envelope integrated into the national growth strategy to 2035.The foundational technical study completed by EDF in June 2025 determined that both large-scale plants and SMRs could successfully support Serbia’s grid. Serbia has strictly ruled out unproven Generation IV reactors, choosing instead to focus entirely on commercially mature Generation III+ technologies.
Developing a national nuclear industry requires significant short-term and long-term financing. Serbia requires approximately €30m just to complete the first two institutional phases. This covers the 18 required infrastructure, legal, and safety studies under IAEA guidelines. The €3bn allocated by the government toward the nuclear programme is part of its broader €14.4bn national energy development strategy.
Serbia is aggressively seeking foreign financing and risk-sharing models. The state has held early financial and technical discussions with the French Development Agency. Additionally, President Vučić has explored alternative options, such as acquiring a 5-10% financial stake in Hungary’s Paks nuclear expansion to secure immediate capacity while domestic plants are built. Vučić proposed acquiring a financial stake in Paks on three separate occasions He first brought up the proposal to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021. Then in November 2024 during a state visit to Budapest, he renewed the request. In Late 2025, Finance Minister Siniša Mali and state media reaffirmed that Serbia was pursuing this co-ownership as a core pillar of its transition strategy.
While Serbia’s regulatory roadmap is heavily aligned with Western safety norms via French partnerships, Belgrade is maintaining diplomatic flexibility by listening to multiple global bids, In addition to France, China in May delivered a formal proposal to build modular nuclear reactors under highly competitive financial terms, promising accelerated construction speeds and comprehensive personnel training.
Russia (Rosatom) held bilateral talks with Serbian officials in 2025 and regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant and non-energy nuclear science applications. In February, Vučić had a high-profile meeting with Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev to review small modular reactor (SMR) designs and Russian university training placements for Serbian students.
Both the US and South Korea have also registered formal expressions of interest with the Ministry of Mining and Energy to pitch their respective reactor designs.
