Slovenia Advances Planning for New Krško Nuclear Unit
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Location, cost and technology to be set before referendum – Prime Minister Robert Golob said the site, likely price and reactor type for a new unit at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant will be known by the time the postponed public vote occurs, after the government approved the start of a National Spatial Plan [1].
National Spatial Plan preparation begins after public consultation – The government launched the spatial‑planning process, defining objectives, siting area and proposed solution, following a four‑month consultation last year; a decision on the plan is slated for autumn 2028 [1].
Referendum slated for late 2027 or early 2028 with full project details – Golob indicated the vote will present the block’s location, construction conditions, supplier and final price, making spatial planning the first concrete step toward that decision [1].
Financing model deemed critical to electricity price – A Ministry of Finance report highlighted that up to half of nuclear electricity costs stem from financing; choosing an appropriate scheme is essential for financial success and could benefit Slovenia’s energy‑intensive industry [1].
JEK2 project outlines capacity, ownership and timeline – The new plant, envisaged as one or two units up to 2,400 MW beside the existing 696 MWe Krško reactor (jointly owned by Croatia’s HEP Group and Slovenia’s GEN Energija), aims for a Final Investment Decision in 2029, construction start in 2033 and operation by 2041 [1].
Investment estimates and reactor options disclosed – GEN Energija’s 2024 economic study estimates EUR 9.314 billion for a 1,000 MW unit and EUR 15.371 billion for a 1,650 MW unit; Westinghouse AP1000 and EDF EPR/EPR1200 reactors have been judged suitable for the site [1].
- Robert Golob, Prime Minister of Slovenia – “With this, we have formally begun a process that is a step towards concrete solutions and concrete data for the new nuclear power plant unit.”
- Robert Golob – “The process was launched today, and spatial planning is the first step on this path… we will know where the block will be located, under what conditions it will be built, who the supplier will be, and what its final price will be.”
- Robert Golob – “When it comes to the final price of electricity from a nuclear facility, according to global experience, as much as half of the price depends on financing costs… the scheme and financing costs are key to financial success.”