COO of Slovenian Gen-Energija, the operator of nuclear power plant Krsko, Danijel Levicar said that the final investment decision on the construction of the second unit at the plant will be made by 2027.
Levicar said that a single nuclear reactor is not enough to cover the rising energy demand of Croatia and Slovenia given the shortage that the entire SEE region currently faces, adding that the second unit at NPP Krsko would significantly ease electricity prices.
He said that nuclear energy will contribute with an annual electricity output of 9 TWh of the total of 10 TWh that Slovenia aims to bring under its green transformation plan by 2035.
In July, Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure has issued an energy permit for the construction of the second unit at nuclear power plant Krsko, a step that allows permitting procedures to begin and comes a week after the national climate strategy enshrined nuclear as a long-term energy option. The project will be managed by the state-owned Gen Energija.
Minister Jernej Vrtovec said that the energy permit kick-starts the broadest possible public debate, not just at the expert level but also among the people, adding that this did not mark the final decision on the investment, it is merely the first step. Only after a broad social consensus is reached, procedures such as siting, the acquisition of a building permit, selection of contractor and construction itself will begin. Project details such as estimated price, time frame or selection of technology have not been determined yet, nor has the precise location.
Minister Vrtovec said that the energy permit would serve as the basis for the verification of environmental, spatial, technical and economic parameters in the form of a national spatial plan, environmental impact assessment, cross-border impact assessment, building permit acquisition, selection of supplier and financing. He said that the plan is to build a 1.1 GW unit with an estimated production of 9,000 GWh of electricity per year and a life span of 60 years. Given that Slovenia plans to abandon coal by 2033, the country could not secure energy independence only with alternative energy sources, without nuclear.
