The second block of the Krško nuclear power plant should be put into operation in 2035
The second reactor of the Krško nuclear power plant in Slovenia could be operational in 2035, estimates its operator GEN energija. However, permits for the project are still pending. The company emphasizes that they are doing everything to speed up the preparations.
The second nuclear reactor at the Krško power plant in Slovenia could be built and put into operation in 2035 if all procedures and construction go according to plan, said Danijel Levičar, operations director of the state energy company GEN energija.
Although there is still no final decision on whether the Krško 2 block will be built, Gen energija points out that it is determined to manage the process so that things are ready to continue when the decision is known.
Given that Slovenia plans to phase out coal by 2033, about 60 percent of the demand for electricity will depend on imports if new production capacities are not established, Levičar said. ePosavje TV.
GEN energy also emphasized that this year they will do everything to speed up the preparations for the implementation of the Krško 2 project.
Recently, the Slovenian Prime Minister is Robert Golob announced that the referendum will on the construction of the second block of the nuclear power plant, which will take place after the selection of the technology. It should be organized no later than 2027.
Last week the government announced environmental approval to extend the life of the first reactor of the Krško NPP until 2043.
The estimated completion date has been postponed
Since 2021, when GEN energija submitted a request to amend the State Spatial Plan, activities have been slow, and the expected completion date has been moved from 2033 to 2035.
Leftist: The next milestone will be the contract with the reactor supplier, which is planned for 2027.
The next milestone will be the contract with the reactor supplier and it should be signed by 2027, said Levičar. He explained that according to experiences from other regions, the preparation of large parts of the future power plant takes about three years. Construction could take another five years, and the trial period could begin in 2035, he believes.
GEN is also examining the possibility of deployment small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), but the technology is still under development and not commercially available.
Krško 2 is still waiting for the necessary permits
The Ministry of Infrastructure issued an energy permit for Krško 2 in July 2021, but environmental protection associations filed a lawsuit against that.
According to previous announcements, the construction of the second block would cost between 5 and 6 billion euros. It is planned with a capacity of 1.1 GW and an annual electricity production of 8.8 TWh. The estimated lifetime of the reactor is 60 years.
NE Krško is located near the border with Croatia, which supports the construction other units. The company Nuklearna elektrana Krško (NEK) is co-owned by Gen energija and Hrvatske elektroprivreda (HEP) under the control of the Croatian government.
In December, nuclear energy accounted for 43.4 percent of Slovenian electricity production.
Post views: 15