Nuclear energy in Slovenia
Encyclopedia
Slovenia
's only nuclear power plant
is the Krško Nuclear Power Plant
, which went into commercial operation on January 15, 1983. It was built as a joint venture by Slovenia and Croatia
which were at the time both part of Yugoslavia. The operating company Nuklearna Elektrarna Krško (NEK) remains co-owned by Slovenian and Croatian state-owned companies and provides more than one-quarter of Slovenia's electrical power along with roughly a fifth of Croatia's. The plant is scheduled to close by 2023, and there are no plans to build further nuclear plants. Nonetheless, the debate on whether and when to close the Krško plant has intensified since the 2005/06 winter energy crisis. In May 2006 a Slovenian newspaper claimed that the government had held internal discussions on adding a new 1000MW block into Krško after 2020. Nuclear waste is disposed in storage facilities. Slovenia has left the possibility of reprocessing spent fuel open.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
's only nuclear power plant
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
is the Krško Nuclear Power Plant
Krško Nuclear Power Plant
The Krško Nuclear Power Plant is located in Krško, Slovenia. The plant was connected to the power grid on October 2, 1981 and went into commercial operation on January 15, 1983...
, which went into commercial operation on January 15, 1983. It was built as a joint venture by Slovenia and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
which were at the time both part of Yugoslavia. The operating company Nuklearna Elektrarna Krško (NEK) remains co-owned by Slovenian and Croatian state-owned companies and provides more than one-quarter of Slovenia's electrical power along with roughly a fifth of Croatia's. The plant is scheduled to close by 2023, and there are no plans to build further nuclear plants. Nonetheless, the debate on whether and when to close the Krško plant has intensified since the 2005/06 winter energy crisis. In May 2006 a Slovenian newspaper claimed that the government had held internal discussions on adding a new 1000MW block into Krško after 2020. Nuclear waste is disposed in storage facilities. Slovenia has left the possibility of reprocessing spent fuel open.