Nuclear Power in Slovenia
(November 2008)
- Slovenia has shared a nuclear power reactor with Croatia since 1981.
- It has further capacity under consideration.
Slovenia has a population of 2 million. Lignite is its main source of energy. In 2005, 15 billion kWh was produced, final consumption was 12.7 TWh. Nuclear power from the single reactor supplied 40% of the country's electricity in 2006 - 5.3 billion kWh. Electricity consumption per capita is about 6000 kWh/yr.
Neighbouring Croatia has 4.5 million people and 4000 MWe installed. 15% of its electricity comes from the jointly-owned Krsko nuclear plant in Slovenia. It is considering building a new 1000 MWe nuclear plant of its own, in Eastern Slavonia near the Serbian border.
Nuclear power
Slovenia has a 696 MWe Westinghouse nuclear reactor in operation, the NPP Krsko, which is jointly owned by Croatia. This pressurized water reactor was the first western nuclear power plant in eastern Europe. Construction started in 1975 and it was connected to the grid in 1981, entering commercial operation in 1983. In 2001 its steam generators were replaced and the plant was uprated 6% then and 3% subsequently. Its operational life is designed to be 40 years.
It is owned and operated by NEK, a joint Slovene-Croat company.
A further Krsko unit is under consideration, possibly 1000 MWe by 2017.
Radioactive wastes
Operational Low and Intermediate-level wastes are stored at Krsko, as is used fuel. The 1996 strategy for long-term management of used fuel recommends direct disposal, but leaves the possibility of a later decision to reprocess it open.
Regulation
Krsko is supervised and licensed by the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA), as well as by international expert missions organized by IAEA, EU, WANO, etc.
Research & Development
Slovenia has a 250 kW Triga research reactor operating since 1966 at the Josef Stefan Institute, which is a major research establishment. It also operates a nuclear training centre.
Non-proliferation
Slovenia has been a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty since 1992, and in 2000 the Additional Protocol on its safeguards agreement with IAEA entered into force. It has been party to the Paris Convention on civil liability for nuclear damage since 2001 and the supplementary Brussels Convention since 2003.
Main References:
IAEA 2003 Country profiles.