Slovenian Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said that the country has created legal framework for decarbonization of its energy sector and transition to green energy by 2033. Slovenia will, in addition to renewable energy sources, continue to rely on nuclear energy.
Minister Vrtovec said that without nuclear energy, neither Slovenia nor the EU will be able to achieve key goals, namely energy independence and a breakthrough towards green energy transformation and decarbonization, adding that reliance on nuclear energy, as one of the most important sources in the future, is increasingly pronounced position of other EU member states.
According to him, the EU could decide in the coming weeks to include nuclear energy, together with wind and solar energy, as a source of green energy in the taxonomy proposed by the European Commission, because nuclear power plants are not a source of greenhouse gases and do not contribute to climate change.
He called on energy companies to apply for tenders that have already been announced for the construction of new wind farms, which have so far been neglected as a source of renewable energy, and for the construction of solar power plants.
Director of Slovenia’s sole nuclear power plant Krsko Stane Rozman said that the plant is ready to extend its operational life to 2043, adding that all necessary permits are obtained, with ongoing negotiations with neighboring countries, primarily Austria who is strictly against nuclear energy.
Rozman said that the procedure for the extension of NPP Krsko operational life could be completed in 2023, adding that Slovenia would benefit from the proposed construction of the second reactor at the plant.
