Slovenia to Hold Referendum on Construction of Second Nuclear Reactor
On January 30, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob announced plans to conduct a referendum where citizens of the country will express their views on the construction of a second nuclear reactor at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant. The referendum will serve as a consultative measure for the government, as reported by The Slovenia Times.
During a press conference after meeting with representatives of parliamentary parties, the country's president, and other high-ranking officials, Golob stated that participants agreed on the development of renewable energy sources and nuclear energy. "For such a crucial project – both in terms of its significance and the country's future – consensus is necessary. We will seek common solutions," added the Slovenian Prime Minister.
The referendum is expected to take place in the second half of 2024. The leader of the main opposition party in Slovenia and former Prime Minister Janez Janša welcomed the Prime Minister's statement, expressing the opinion that it would "accelerate the process of building a second reactor."
Currently, Slovenia operates only one Krško Nuclear Power Plant, jointly built with Croatia in 1983, housing a single 700-megawatt reactor from the American company Westinghouse. This plant provides approximately 20% of Slovenia's energy needs and 17% for Croatia. The operation of the nuclear power plant is scheduled until 2043. Following an earthquake in Croatia in December 2020, the plant's operations were temporarily suspended.
Meanwhile, The Gaze reported earlier that Ukraine plans to commence the construction of four new nuclear reactor units at the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant in the summer or fall of this year to compensate for the loss of energy capacity due to the conflict with Russia.
Two energy blocks, including reactors and associated equipment, will be constructed based on Russian equipment, which Ukraine intends to import from Bulgaria. Meanwhile, two other energy blocks will utilize Western technologies from the energy equipment manufacturer Westinghouse.
Previously, the Ukrainian government announced plans for the construction of new energy blocks in 2024 without specifying the timeline, and there was no information about the simultaneous construction of two blocks, as stated by Ukrainian Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko.