Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic expects that a decision on the installation of small modular nuclear reactors
(SMR) in Serbia will be made in 2022, adding that nuclear energy will ensure the country’s energy stability.
She reminded that former Yugoslavia introduced a moratorium on the construction of nuclear power plants after Chernobyl incident in 1986, which is still in force in Serbia and is expected to be lifted this year. She said that SMRs have the capacity of between 10 and 400 MW and are delivered directly from the factory to the installation site.
Given the fact that Serbia will gradually decrease the capacity of its coal-fired thermal power plants, the country needs new capacities and investments in small modular reactors should be endorsed by the new Energy Strategy.
Last October, President Vucic said that Serbia is interested in acquiring a minority stake in the Hungarian project for the expansion of nuclear power plant Paks. He said that Serbia is prepared to buy 5-15 % stake in the project, adding that the country is also looking in investing in SMRs and is prepared to negotiate with Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom on this matter.
