In the upcoming decade, Serbia’s energy sector will confront two major challenges: meeting the energy demands of its citizens and the public, and transitioning away from carbon dioxide-emitting energy sources. To address these challenges, the country must enhance its domestic electricity production capacity. Nuclear energy emerges as a viable solution, albeit with two significant hurdles: acquiring the reactor and developing a skilled workforce for nuclear power plants.
Amidst growing energy demands, accelerated economic growth, and technological advancements, Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, asserts that nuclear energy warrants consideration as a means to ensure a stable energy supply in Serbia.
The Minister highlights that Serbia’s legal prohibition on nuclear power plant construction, enacted in response to the Chernobyl disaster in 1989, has left the country ill-prepared to harness nuclear energy due to the absence of requisite laws, administrative frameworks, procedures, and trained personnel. The Serbian government intends to conduct thorough analyses to pave the way for establishing a nuclear program, beginning with a review of procedural conditions for lifting the existing moratorium.
Minister Handanović emphasizes the crucial need for developing skilled personnel to navigate nuclear technologies, citing the significant timeframe required to train personnel following a decision to pursue nuclear energy. The Serbian government has initiated efforts to identify domestic and international experts capable of analyzing and preparing the country for participation in a civil nuclear program, with initiatives like the Serbian Nuclear Society.
Milica Ilić, a senior research associate at the “Vinča” Institute, underscores the rigorous task of training personnel for nuclear power plants, requiring expertise in various disciplines such as nuclear physics, nuclear chemistry, engineering, and radiation protection. She advocates for supporting faculties to establish or modernize nuclear energy courses and consolidating educated students in scientific research centers for specialized training in collaboration with nuclear energy experts.
In the selection of future nuclear energy experts, Ilić stresses the importance of candidates’ dedication, responsibility, and enthusiasm. She advocates for hiring experts from abroad due to the limited number of nuclear energy specialists in Serbia and emphasizes the necessity of practical training at real nuclear plants, experimental or commercial.
Serbia aims to construct a nuclear reactor by 2035, marking a significant milestone in its nuclear energy aspirations.
