JEK2 spatial planning consultation being launched
Slovenia is due to begin a three month public consultation as part of the spatial planning process for proposed JEK2 new nuclear capacity at the Krško nuclear power plant.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning will publish the initiative for the preparation of the spatial plan for the new nuclear power plant on 1 July, kick-starting a three month process to inform the public about the proposal and enable public comment on the plan.
Nuclear operator GEN Energija submitted its proposal for the preparation of the national spatial plan for the new capacity to the Environment, Climate and Energy Ministry in October.
Environment, Climate and Energy Minister, Bojan Kumer, said: "The public announcement of the initiative ... for JEK2 represents an important milestone, as the prepared material is the result of numerous expert coordinations and is now suitable for further consideration in the broadest professional framework. This begins a process in which the public has the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the content and participate with their opinions, suggestions and comments."
State Secretary at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Miran Gajšek, said that during the process "municipalities also play an important role in this phase, submitting data from their competence and, if desired, planning guidelines".
GEN Energija CEO Dejan Paravan said that the company would carry out communication activities with stakeholders, the public and interest groups throughout the planning process and continue "throughout the construction of the power plant until the start of commercial operation [and] also during the operation phase".
The proposed new nuclear capacity is categorised as a strategic and intergenerational project of national importance. GEN Energija is to open information offices in Krško, Ljubljana, Maribor and Nova Gorica, where the public will be able to learn about the initiative. The next steps will include a cross-border environmental impact assessment.
The background
Slovenia's JEK2 project is for a new one or two-unit nuclear power plant, with up to 2400 MW capacity, next to Krško NPP which has a 696 MWe pressurised water reactor generating about one-third of the country's electricity. Krško is owned and operated by Nuklearna Elektrarna Krško, which is jointly owned by Croatia's Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP Group) and Slovenia's GEN Energija.
The JEK2 project team, following discussions with potential nuclear power plant providers EDF, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Westinghouse, in May last year, estimated the cost for various reactor sizes, ranging from EUR9.314 billion (USD10.1 billion) for a 1000 MW unit, up to EUR15.371 billion for a 1650 MW unit. KHNP withdrew from the process in January, with GEN saying the decision was "based on an assessment of the current business environment and a change in their strategic business priorities".
In March it was announced that technical feasibility studies were being carried out by potential technology providers Westinghouse and EDF, with their studies due to be completed "in the third quarter of this year".
Slovenia had been due to hold a referendum on new nuclear in November, but that was called off amid a political row over how it was being conducted. Prime Minister Robert Golob said he remained committed to holding a referendum before a final investment decision is taken - which is currently due to be in 2028.
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