Slovenia considering referendum on second unit at Krsko NPP

People must be given the opportunity to make a decision on a second reactor once experts come up with technical solutions and all necessary permits are obtained, Golob said in a press release on Friday.

"If there are more such facilities in Europe, the energy situation in Europe would also be much better," Golob said during a visit to the power plant.

In July 2021, Slovenia's infrastructure ministry issued an energy permit for the construction of a second reactor unit at Krsko, but the decision drew fire from neighbouring Austria, whose constitution bans the use of nuclear fission in its energy supply.

Krsko NPP, located in Slovenia near the border with Croatia, generates some 40% of Slovenia's electricity output. The NPP is located around 100 kilometers from Austria and operates a Westinghouse pressurised light water reactor of 2,000 MW thermal power capacity. The operating company Nuklearna elektrarna Krsko (NEK) is co-owned by Gen-Energija and Croatian power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP).