On 11 May 2011, the Republic of Slovenia became the 30th member country of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).
“Through its full membership, Slovenia will build on its past collaboration with the NEA to further contribute to the top international scientific, technological and legal expertise required for the safe, environmentally friendly and economical use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
Slovenia operates the Krško nuclear power plant, a one-unit 696 MWe pressurised water reactor (PWR) connected to the grid in 1981 and co-owned with Croatia. The reactor supplies 25% of the country’s electricity demand (currently, the electricity mix in Slovenia is 41% coal and gas, 29% hydro, 25% nuclear and 5% renewables).
Slovenia also operates a nuclear training centre and a research reactor at the Jožef Stefan Institute, which has a staff of about 880 people.
Slovenia has been an observer in the seven NEA standing technical committees since 2002 and joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in July 2010.
The OECD said that the NEA membership currently covers 85% of the world’s nuclear fleet. Notable exclusions include Russia, Ukraine, India, China and Taiwan, although all are OECD members.