The Ministry of Infrastructure issued an energy permit for the second reactor block in Krsko on Monday. “That is not yet a final decision for the investment,” emphasized the Slovenian Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec. The energy permit is only the first step that paves the way for the start of all necessary procedures and documentation preparation.
According to the minister, the energy permit issued will also set in motion a broad public discussion, not only at the expert level, but also among the citizens. The minister said at a press conference in Ljubljana that the aim was to achieve “the broadest possible social consensus” on the further use of nuclear energy.
On the basis of the energy permit, the investor, the state-owned company Gen Energija, will be able to initiate the necessary permit procedures. In this context, among other things, the spatial planning, environmental, technical and economic criteria are examined. Only after a social consensus has been reached, according to the minister, the procedures such as the determination of the location, obtaining the building permit, investment decision, selection of the technology supplier and the actual construction will begin.
Minister promises “cutting edge technology”
A plant with a modern pressurized water reactor with an output of 1,100 MW is planned, which will generate almost 9,000 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. The service life should be 60 years. “It is the most modern technology, for a third generation nuclear power plant, which guarantees the best possible safety,” said the minister, emphasizing that the aim is to seek the best possible technology that is currently available on the market. The aim is to use “the best, but also proven technologies”, emphasized the director of Gen Energija, Martin Novsak.
The specific location in the municipality of Krsko, where the existing nuclear power plant is already located, the amount of the investment, the specific schedule or the preferred technology have not yet been determined. According to the optimistic scenario, the investor expects to finish the procedures within five years, and the construction itself should take another five years, said Novsak.
With regard to the resistance from Austria, where there are already opposition to the long-term extension of the existing facility, the Minister of Infrastructure emphasized that the positions of the neighboring country are known and respected. “However, each country determines its own energy mix,” said Vrtovec. Nuclear power ensures Slovenia a clean and secure energy future with simultaneous energy independence. “I cannot imagine Slovenia’s future energy independence without nuclear energy,” said the minister, referring to the limited potential of renewable energy sources. Slovenia’s water potential is not as great as in Austria, and the potential for wind energy use cannot be compared with Germany, he added as an example.
Vrtovec did not rule out a referendum on the second nuclear power plant. If the public calls for a referendum, he sees no problem with “the citizens expressing their views,” said the minister. In view of the positive experience with the first reactor block, he was optimistic that the people of Slovenia would approve of such a decision.
Last week Slovenia adopted a new climate strategy up to 2050, with which the country committed itself to nuclear power in the long term in order to achieve climate neutrality.
