WEBVTT 00:00:01.570 --> 00:00:08.451 The PM Janez Janša is coming. 00:05:24.510 --> 00:05:29.049 Dear Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Mr. Janez Janša, 00:05:29.169 --> 00:05:32.384 welcome among us. 00:05:33.113 --> 00:05:36.584 We are glad that the Minister of the Environment Andrej Vizjak 00:05:36.704 --> 00:05:40.918 is also with us on this special occasion. 00:05:41.576 --> 00:05:45.260 With us are also the mayors of Hrastnik, 00:05:45.380 --> 00:05:48.984 Trbovlje, Zagorje ob Savi and Nova Gorica, 00:05:49.659 --> 00:05:54.451 and the Director General of Holding Slovenske elektrarne Viktor Vračar. 00:05:54.571 --> 00:06:01.064 I welcome you and all the other guests from the HSE Group 00:06:01.184 --> 00:06:04.184 and other important energy companies. 00:06:04.656 --> 00:06:09.384 Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen, welcome at the opening 00:06:09.637 --> 00:06:12.789 of the biggest solar power station in Slovenia, 00:06:12.909 --> 00:06:15.818 the solar power station Prapretno. 00:06:23.503 --> 00:06:26.902 The ceremony was opened 00:06:27.022 --> 00:06:30.551 by the Workers' Marching Band Trbovlje 00:06:30.780 --> 00:06:34.018 with the song Greetings to Friends. 00:06:34.840 --> 00:06:38.681 Thank you for the musical introduction 00:06:38.801 --> 00:06:43.775 into the green and sustainable story that is being written in Prapretno 00:06:43.895 --> 00:06:47.818 by the HSE Group. 00:06:48.789 --> 00:06:51.891 Less than a year ago, 00:06:52.011 --> 00:06:55.318 we symbolically celebrated the miners' day here 00:06:55.485 --> 00:06:58.723 and laid the foundation stone for the solar power station 00:06:58.843 --> 00:07:02.167 we are opening today. With the symbolism 00:07:02.287 --> 00:07:06.091 of a fair energy transition, it offers us a horizon 00:07:06.212 --> 00:07:10.151 which spreads from the chimney of the former thermal power station 00:07:10.466 --> 00:07:15.195 to the solar power station which will offer the Zasavje region 00:07:15.315 --> 00:07:18.951 a friendlier energy future. 00:07:19.906 --> 00:07:26.251 In the HSE Group, they know that the sun is a powerful energy source 00:07:26.512 --> 00:07:32.269 and today, they will open a new solar power station, 00:07:32.451 --> 00:07:36.718 the biggest in Slovenia. 00:07:37.649 --> 00:07:41.028 The solar power station Prapretno is located in the area 00:07:41.148 --> 00:07:44.686 that was heavily influenced by energy production. 00:07:44.994 --> 00:07:48.745 The 120m tall plateau Prapretno 00:07:48.865 --> 00:07:52.551 was created by depositing the fly ash 00:07:52.671 --> 00:07:55.251 from the former thermal power station. 00:07:55.956 --> 00:07:58.518 After a decade of restoration, 00:07:58.638 --> 00:08:03.245 Zasavje is today becoming 00:08:03.365 --> 00:08:08.216 an important energy region. That is beautiful. 00:08:08.914 --> 00:08:11.584 Ladies and gentlemen, Nuška Drašček. 00:11:15.844 --> 00:11:19.899 Nuška, thank you. Now, I give floor 00:11:20.019 --> 00:11:25.451 to the Director General of HSE Viktor Vračar. 00:11:25.571 --> 00:11:29.584 The HSE Group produces the majority of our electricity. 00:11:31.883 --> 00:11:35.570 Dear Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Mr. Janez Janša, 00:11:35.877 --> 00:11:39.518 dear Minister of Environment and Spacial Planning Andrej Vizjak, 00:11:39.832 --> 00:11:46.251 dear guests. Welcome at the solar power station Prapretno. 00:11:46.870 --> 00:11:52.255 Thank you for coming and for the opportunity to open 00:11:52.609 --> 00:11:57.618 the biggest solar power station in Slovenia together. The HSE Group 00:11:57.963 --> 00:12:02.418 is the most important energy company in the country and we follow 00:12:03.100 --> 00:12:08.851 our mission, which is a safe and reliable energy supply. 00:12:09.736 --> 00:12:15.218 We have to do that in an effective and economically acceptable way. 00:12:15.493 --> 00:12:19.384 Despite the turbulent situation, our goals and standards 00:12:19.832 --> 00:12:24.218 are the guidance for our everyday work. 00:12:26.330 --> 00:12:30.784 Our goal is to use a diversified portfolio 00:12:31.326 --> 00:12:35.618 which includes different sources that complement each other 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:40.984 and to provide a safe and reliable energy supply. 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:47.618 Now, we produce approximately two thirds 00:12:48.003 --> 00:12:54.051 of our electricity. Despite the situation in the past months, 00:12:55.358 --> 00:13:01.118 we have been trying for years to reduce carbon emissions. 00:13:01.995 --> 00:13:06.268 The recent events have put at risk the reliability 00:13:06.388 --> 00:13:09.484 and economic efficiency of our energy supply 00:13:09.604 --> 00:13:14.851 and the need to restructure our portfolio is even greater. 00:13:15.978 --> 00:13:21.584 But we need to cut our carbon emissions in a way 00:13:22.555 --> 00:13:28.149 that the supply will not be endangered. The process of doing it 00:13:28.269 --> 00:13:33.618 only with renewable sources is long and expensive, 00:13:34.495 --> 00:13:38.684 so we need to keep investing 00:13:38.804 --> 00:13:43.782 into facilities like the solar power station Prapretno 00:13:43.902 --> 00:13:48.184 and to optimize our thermal power station. 00:13:49.390 --> 00:13:53.155 Cutting carbon emissions doesn't mean we stop investing, 00:13:53.275 --> 00:13:57.808 but we need to keep investing. The European Central Bank estimates 00:13:57.928 --> 00:14:01.966 that in the next decade, we will need to increase investments 00:14:02.086 --> 00:14:06.384 by €350 billion a year to achieve our goals 00:14:06.902 --> 00:14:09.718 and reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources. 00:14:10.290 --> 00:14:14.418 In Slovenia, we will need to invest as well. 00:14:14.803 --> 00:14:19.164 In the HSE Group, we are planning 00:14:19.596 --> 00:14:24.518 to build new facilities for the use of water, wind and sun. 00:14:24.880 --> 00:14:31.118 We are also looking into the geothermal potential as a source. 00:14:32.339 --> 00:14:36.218 The biggest and key challenge 00:14:37.079 --> 00:14:41.755 is not financing, although the external debt of the HSE Group 00:14:41.875 --> 00:14:47.951 adds up to 40% of the value of the thermal power station block 6. 00:14:49.015 --> 00:14:53.951 We are entering a new investment period 00:14:54.258 --> 00:15:01.151 before we will pay back our debt for the block 6. 00:15:02.075 --> 00:15:08.451 I want to thank all of you who helped us get a building permit 00:15:08.962 --> 00:15:14.360 and all of you who support our efforts for new wind, 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:19.551 solar, hydroelectric and geothermal power stations. 00:15:21.194 --> 00:15:25.184 This power station 00:15:25.506 --> 00:15:29.755 is special for many reasons. As we have already heard, 00:15:29.875 --> 00:15:34.818 we are on the hill made up of ash and other side products 00:15:35.203 --> 00:15:40.168 from the thermal power station Trbovlje. This is a unique example 00:15:40.288 --> 00:15:45.651 of the recultivation of ruined land to continue producing electricity, 00:15:46.442 --> 00:15:51.905 only this time, more environmentally friendly. We preserved the location, 00:15:52.025 --> 00:15:58.018 knowledge and tradition of this area. The location is also suitable 00:15:58.790 --> 00:16:02.593 according to the average annual solar radiation, 00:16:02.714 --> 00:16:07.007 since with a staggering 1230 hours 00:16:07.128 --> 00:16:11.502 it belongs to the category of the sunniest places in Slovenia, 00:16:11.623 --> 00:16:14.574 comparable to the Slovenian coast. 00:16:16.169 --> 00:16:18.291 The first phase of construction has been completed 00:16:18.412 --> 00:16:20.791 with about three megawatts of installed power. 00:16:20.912 --> 00:16:26.309 In the next two phases, modules will be upgraded 00:16:26.975 --> 00:16:30.996 up to a total power of about 14 megawatts, 00:16:31.117 --> 00:16:33.699 which is the capacity of the connecting cable 00:16:33.820 --> 00:16:36.344 to the Hrastnik substation. 00:16:38.282 --> 00:16:43.262 6748 photovoltaic panels 00:16:43.383 --> 00:16:46.379 were installed in the first phase 00:16:46.500 --> 00:16:48.747 with the 450 watts power rating 00:16:48.868 --> 00:16:53.739 and are ready to start supplying the electricity grid 00:16:53.860 --> 00:16:55.460 with solar energy. 00:16:56.157 --> 00:17:03.323 Although today the weather is not the best for opening a solar power plant, 00:17:03.444 --> 00:17:06.293 we are proud to start the regular operation 00:17:06.414 --> 00:17:09.528 of the first phase of the solar power plant. 00:17:09.649 --> 00:17:13.060 Thank you to everyone who participated. 00:17:21.407 --> 00:17:23.994 Thank you very much, Dr. Vračar. 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:26.899 Prapretno has a symbolic meaning 00:17:27.020 --> 00:17:30.461 for the HSE Group and the local community. 00:17:30.582 --> 00:17:34.992 In the past, this area has been heavily polluted 00:17:35.113 --> 00:17:38.989 with the production of electricity in the Trbovlje thermal power plant 00:17:39.110 --> 00:17:42.278 and coal mining in nearby mines. 00:17:42.985 --> 00:17:47.955 Today, we are reviving Zasavje by investing in renewable resources. 00:17:48.076 --> 00:17:49.887 The Prapretno solar power plant 00:17:50.008 --> 00:17:53.708 will be able to environmentally friendly and without pollution 00:17:53.835 --> 00:17:58.661 supply about 800 average Slovenian households. 00:17:59.413 --> 00:18:05.602 I invite Mr. Marko Funkl, Mayor of the Municipality of Hrastnik. Please. 00:18:13.336 --> 00:18:17.624 Dear Prime Minister, Minister, 00:18:17.797 --> 00:18:20.959 Madam Mayor, both Mayors, 00:18:21.080 --> 00:18:23.080 both MPs, 00:18:23.274 --> 00:18:28.668 of course, today's host, the CEO of HSE, 00:18:28.789 --> 00:18:31.645 and other distinguished guests, I am honoured 00:18:31.766 --> 00:18:35.461 to welcome you to Hrastnik and the area 00:18:35.582 --> 00:18:38.538 where the largest solar power plant in Slovenia 00:18:38.659 --> 00:18:41.175 will become part of the network today. 00:18:41.296 --> 00:18:44.515 In 2022, we are celebrating 200 years 00:18:44.636 --> 00:18:47.795 since the beginning of mining in Hrastnik. 00:18:47.916 --> 00:18:52.608 Industry, the framework of which until recently was energy, 00:18:52.729 --> 00:18:58.070 has significantly marked the development and life in our region. 00:18:58.413 --> 00:19:00.697 Strategic decisions of the state 00:19:00.818 --> 00:19:03.453 on the withdrawal of energy from Zasavje 00:19:03.613 --> 00:19:06.589 were followed by the collapse of many subsystems 00:19:06.710 --> 00:19:09.949 which paralyzed our region in terms of development. 00:19:10.070 --> 00:19:14.516 Today, the region generates about half the value of GDP 00:19:14.637 --> 00:19:17.413 compared to the rest of Slovenia. 00:19:17.534 --> 00:19:22.377 If the decision to close the mine and the thermal power plant was strategic, 00:19:22.498 --> 00:19:25.612 everything that followed was non-strategic. 00:19:25.733 --> 00:19:27.333 The region only had one program. 00:19:27.454 --> 00:19:31.090 Closure of the mine with included social component, 00:19:31.211 --> 00:19:33.734 a decent retirement of miners 00:19:34.137 --> 00:19:37.320 and other workers in the Zasavje energy sector. 00:19:37.441 --> 00:19:41.917 There were no serious restructuring programs in the region 00:19:42.038 --> 00:19:47.376 despite many high representatives of Zasavje in state politics. 00:19:47.653 --> 00:19:52.933 Today, many of you drove here from different parts of Slovenia. 00:19:53.054 --> 00:19:56.263 Road connections are key for economic development 00:19:56.384 --> 00:20:00.009 and consequently for the quality of life in the region. 00:20:00.130 --> 00:20:05.609 The G2-108 road, which connects Zasavje and Posavje, 00:20:05.730 --> 00:20:09.176 is one of the worst, if not the worst road connection 00:20:09.297 --> 00:20:11.434 between two regions in our country. 00:20:11.555 --> 00:20:14.207 Traffic is regulated alternately one-way, 00:20:14.328 --> 00:20:17.838 with an important addition, only for cars. 00:20:17.959 --> 00:20:20.897 The preparation and adoption of the National Spatial Plan 00:20:21.018 --> 00:20:23.657 will reach a round anniversary this year, 00:20:23.778 --> 00:20:26.214 but the regulation has not yet been adopted. 00:20:26.335 --> 00:20:31.877 According to the latest information, which ignites a spark of hope, 00:20:31.998 --> 00:20:36.264 the final version is in inter-ministerial coordination 00:20:36.385 --> 00:20:41.287 and this very long process will be completed after 10 years. 00:20:41.408 --> 00:20:43.016 This will be followed by a demanding 00:20:43.137 --> 00:20:44.969 and long construction of the said road, 00:20:45.090 --> 00:20:47.169 which the whole Zasavje is looking forward to, 00:20:47.290 --> 00:20:49.290 and should, in my opinion, 00:20:49.411 --> 00:20:53.496 have been built in parallel with the process of closing the coal mine, 00:20:53.617 --> 00:20:57.416 thus being the basis for setting up other activities 00:20:57.537 --> 00:21:00.240 and launching the region. On the other hand, 00:21:00.360 --> 00:21:03.099 I need to commend intensive meetings 00:21:03.219 --> 00:21:05.601 for the arrangement of the connection of Zasavje 00:21:05.722 --> 00:21:09.488 to the Šentrupert, Prebold, Trbovlje, Hrastnik road, 00:21:09.609 --> 00:21:13.994 but at the same time mention that this project is long-term 00:21:14.115 --> 00:21:17.168 and still quite far from realisation. 00:21:17.923 --> 00:21:19.794 Living conditions in our region 00:21:19.915 --> 00:21:23.378 are shaped not only by the state and the European community, 00:21:23.499 --> 00:21:25.162 but also by all municipalities. 00:21:25.283 --> 00:21:27.475 Following the path of the green transition, 00:21:27.596 --> 00:21:30.429 at the municipal council session on Wednesday 00:21:30.550 --> 00:21:33.760 we adopted a sustainable concept of the Hrastnik municipality, 00:21:33.881 --> 00:21:35.481 called Green Oak. 00:21:35.602 --> 00:21:39.081 Green indicates the transition from brown to green, while the oak 00:21:39.202 --> 00:21:42.140 is the symbol of our municipality and represents perseverance, 00:21:42.261 --> 00:21:45.166 power, resilience and tradition, 00:21:45.287 --> 00:21:48.688 which are also characteristic of the inhabitants of our region. 00:21:48.809 --> 00:21:51.910 We want to take even more decisive steps 00:21:52.031 --> 00:21:55.240 to a fairer and more climate-neutral municipality, 00:21:55.361 --> 00:21:58.316 which will be reflected in the transition to a carbon-free society, 00:21:58.437 --> 00:22:00.787 increased self-sufficiency in several areas, 00:22:00.908 --> 00:22:05.006 care for a healthy environment, sustainable spatial planning, 00:22:05.127 --> 00:22:09.405 community-based community resource management 00:22:09.526 --> 00:22:12.592 and social and environmental justice. 00:22:12.713 --> 00:22:14.523 The first step on this path 00:22:14.644 --> 00:22:17.300 will be the establishment of a community solar power plant 00:22:17.421 --> 00:22:19.170 on the roof of the primary school, 00:22:19.291 --> 00:22:21.291 which will be the first of its kind in Slovenia. 00:22:21.412 --> 00:22:25.088 With the largest solar power plant we are opening today, 00:22:25.209 --> 00:22:28.074 and the construction of the solar power plant in Blato, 00:22:28.195 --> 00:22:30.526 led by Rudis, 00:22:30.647 --> 00:22:34.728 on a hill not far away, Hrastnik is becoming, 00:22:34.849 --> 00:22:37.787 in terms of obtaining energy from renewable sources, 00:22:37.908 --> 00:22:41.631 one of the most sustainable municipalities in Slovenia. 00:22:41.752 --> 00:22:44.277 We are also facing a European transformation 00:22:44.398 --> 00:22:48.225 on the path to decarbonisation, called the Just Transition Fund. 00:22:48.346 --> 00:22:51.237 The upcoming period will be extremely important 00:22:51.358 --> 00:22:53.448 for the Zasavje and Šaleška regions. 00:22:53.569 --> 00:22:57.142 Additional resources are crucial to make up for 00:22:57.263 --> 00:22:59.624 what we missed when closing. 00:23:00.252 --> 00:23:04.245 Numerous projects of the Zasavje economy and local communities 00:23:04.366 --> 00:23:07.186 together with the already mentioned road infrastructure 00:23:07.307 --> 00:23:09.967 would open the door to the development of Zasavje 00:23:10.088 --> 00:23:12.790 and at the same time open up opportunities 00:23:12.911 --> 00:23:15.887 for other energy challenges, such as the construction 00:23:16.008 --> 00:23:18.584 of hydro power plants on the Middle Sava. 00:23:18.705 --> 00:23:22.752 However, today we have gathered for an important occasion 00:23:22.873 --> 00:23:24.873 which fills us with optimism. 00:23:24.994 --> 00:23:29.799 Energy is returning to Zasavje in a different, greener form. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:32.686 Opening the largest solar power plant in Slovenia 00:23:32.807 --> 00:23:38.815 in Prapretno at the largest landfill of fly ash in Slovenia 00:23:39.354 --> 00:23:41.281 is a step that I sincerely welcome 00:23:41.402 --> 00:23:43.299 as the mayor of the Hrastnik municipality 00:23:43.420 --> 00:23:46.996 and I look forward to continuing and spreading this project 00:23:47.117 --> 00:23:49.393 across the border of our neighbouring municipality. 00:23:49.514 --> 00:23:53.182 I would like to congratulate HSE for the work they've done. 00:23:53.303 --> 00:23:57.725 I know that we have many other great challenges ahead of us, 00:23:57.846 --> 00:24:02.119 which we will successfully overcome together step by step. 00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:07.842 Thank you and let Hrastnik be the sunniest municipality in Slovenia. 00:24:15.010 --> 00:24:17.350 Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. 00:24:17.471 --> 00:24:22.404 Before Nuška and musicians from Trbovlje 00:24:22.525 --> 00:24:25.673 take us to 1972, 00:24:25.841 --> 00:24:31.318 it is only right to greet and welcome them among us. 00:24:31.810 --> 00:24:35.239 Nuška Drašček is one of the most prominent Slovenian singers, 00:24:35.360 --> 00:24:39.779 who impresses the audience with her voice, stage presence 00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:42.818 and an extremely wide repertoire. 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:46.884 The Trbovlje Workers' Band is one of the most active 00:24:47.005 --> 00:24:51.583 and the most recognisable art societies in their town. 00:24:51.704 --> 00:24:54.000 During its 115 years of activity, 00:24:54.121 --> 00:24:57.833 with many achievements at the national and global level, 00:24:57.954 --> 00:25:01.348 it became an indispensable part of cultural activity 00:25:01.469 --> 00:25:03.575 in the municipality of Trbovlje. 00:25:03.696 --> 00:25:08.497 I mentioned that they will take us back to 1972. 00:25:09.004 --> 00:25:12.557 That year, the song Amongst Honest People 00:25:12.678 --> 00:25:15.056 won the Slovenian Song Festival. 00:25:15.177 --> 00:25:19.283 Where did the author of the text Dušan Velkavrh 00:25:19.404 --> 00:25:23.626 and composer Mojmir Sepe draw their inspiration from? 00:25:23.747 --> 00:25:27.472 Nuška Drašček and the Trbovlje Workers' Band. 00:28:50.106 --> 00:28:53.039 Nuška Drašček and the Trbovlje Workers' Band 00:28:53.160 --> 00:28:55.664 with conductor Jože Kotar. 00:28:56.402 --> 00:28:59.986 I give the floor to the keynote speaker, 00:29:00.107 --> 00:29:02.520 the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia. 00:29:02.641 --> 00:29:04.820 Mr. Janez Janša, please. 00:29:12.770 --> 00:29:18.608 Dear CEO, Madam Mayor, Mayors, MPs, Ladies and Gentlemen. 00:29:20.254 --> 00:29:23.139 Electricity is the foundation of modern civilisation. 00:29:23.260 --> 00:29:27.149 Without this invention, our lives would be different. 00:29:27.270 --> 00:29:32.598 In the past decades, I can say more than a century, 00:29:32.955 --> 00:29:37.155 we obtained most of our electricity from carbon sources. 00:29:37.276 --> 00:29:41.907 Today, carbon sources have a negative connotation. 00:29:42.697 --> 00:29:47.822 But we must be aware that the development we see today, 00:29:47.943 --> 00:29:53.091 even all that is built into solar panels, would not exist 00:29:53.709 --> 00:29:57.197 if there were no carbon sources. 00:29:58.133 --> 00:30:00.018 In the beginning, 00:30:00.139 --> 00:30:05.119 civilisation was not at the stage of harnessing solar energy 00:30:05.240 --> 00:30:09.855 or other resources we call sustainable and green today. 00:30:10.215 --> 00:30:12.596 From this point of view, 00:30:13.155 --> 00:30:17.059 it is right, even though it happened a little late, 00:30:17.180 --> 00:30:21.780 that the European Union has now come to a decision 00:30:21.901 --> 00:30:26.093 to set up a Just Transition Fund. 00:30:26.990 --> 00:30:32.542 By doing so, we will repay those towns, those regions, 00:30:32.663 --> 00:30:35.201 as well as the memory of the people, 00:30:35.321 --> 00:30:42.093 who for decades with the mining of coal, a carbon source, 00:30:42.449 --> 00:30:46.958 provided energy for the generation of electricity 00:30:47.255 --> 00:30:50.645 and for the development of civilisation. 00:30:52.092 --> 00:30:55.602 When the green transition was first mentioned 00:30:55.723 --> 00:30:58.927 at the beginning of this century, 00:30:59.845 --> 00:31:02.517 there was no such view. 00:31:02.638 --> 00:31:06.889 Earlier, Mr. Mayor talked about Zasavje, Hrastnik and so on. 00:31:07.010 --> 00:31:13.330 There are hundreds of similar cases in Europe. 00:31:13.941 --> 00:31:18.220 I’ve been to many places where the situation is even worse. 00:31:18.341 --> 00:31:23.814 Where the flowering landscapes 00:31:24.479 --> 00:31:26.917 or subregions 00:31:27.364 --> 00:31:30.882 that lived from coal mining 00:31:31.003 --> 00:31:34.510 and the production of electricity from coal 00:31:35.138 --> 00:31:40.229 have turned into not only a devastated landscape 00:31:40.350 --> 00:31:42.941 which no one took good care of, 00:31:43.507 --> 00:31:48.519 but also to a demographically endangered area, 00:31:48.640 --> 00:31:51.954 marked by emigration and so on. 00:31:52.807 --> 00:31:55.180 We are not the only ones with this delay, 00:31:55.301 --> 00:31:58.045 but this must not be an excuse. 00:31:59.127 --> 00:32:01.794 Finally, we've received funding. 00:32:02.656 --> 00:32:06.291 What Zasavje region has been waiting for for a long time, 00:32:07.156 --> 00:32:12.927 will come much faster, if we are smart enough. 00:32:14.872 --> 00:32:22.793 The term green transition is a sacred term lately. 00:32:24.687 --> 00:32:29.827 Only for the past two years we've been speaking about 00:32:30.265 --> 00:32:32.598 a smart and fair transition. 00:32:32.812 --> 00:32:38.460 A smart transition means we're not jumping head-first. 00:32:39.655 --> 00:32:45.013 We can decarbonize the whole electrical energy production, 00:32:45.185 --> 00:32:52.255 shut all the carbon-related energy productions down. 00:32:52.615 --> 00:32:56.942 We'll be carbon-free, but what does that mean for the civilization? 00:32:57.888 --> 00:33:02.888 This means a step back into something 00:33:03.905 --> 00:33:07.403 that we will be trying to get out of 00:33:07.773 --> 00:33:10.981 by producing even more carbon dioxide than today. 00:33:11.656 --> 00:33:15.450 After a certain period 00:33:16.224 --> 00:33:22.731 the EU has entered a mature phase regarding its green transition. 00:33:24.156 --> 00:33:28.473 This phase is accelerated by the events in the east, 00:33:28.594 --> 00:33:32.699 especially by the Russian aggression on Ukraine. 00:33:33.280 --> 00:33:37.441 Despite warnings 00:33:39.131 --> 00:33:43.410 and calls that didn't mean much 00:33:43.684 --> 00:33:48.548 the infrastructure was being built 00:33:48.669 --> 00:33:54.862 that made Europe even more dependent on energy from the east. 00:33:55.406 --> 00:33:58.612 This has now drastically changed. 00:33:59.155 --> 00:34:04.534 The green transition and the search for new capacities 00:34:04.655 --> 00:34:09.674 for electricity production and focus on our own energy sources 00:34:10.362 --> 00:34:13.104 have been accelerated. 00:34:14.132 --> 00:34:20.757 This is now in budget plans 00:34:21.156 --> 00:34:27.568 and medium-term projections of the EU 00:34:28.078 --> 00:34:30.599 where it was accepted 00:34:31.560 --> 00:34:36.580 and the result is that there will be great financial sources, 00:34:37.157 --> 00:34:40.346 both in the shape of grants and credits. 00:34:40.655 --> 00:34:44.377 We will have to be smart enough to use this. 00:34:45.905 --> 00:34:51.215 As far as solar energy goes... The Sun is older... 00:34:53.772 --> 00:35:00.918 It is by far older than any human civilization 00:35:01.215 --> 00:35:06.074 or any other civilization out there, if it exists. 00:35:08.070 --> 00:35:14.793 Only for the past few years we've learned to use this energy. 00:35:16.656 --> 00:35:22.535 After the first panels arrived, 00:35:22.655 --> 00:35:26.176 the forecasts were optimistic. They said in 10 years, 00:35:26.406 --> 00:35:31.105 all the energy will be provided by the Sun 00:35:31.934 --> 00:35:36.629 which is an unlimited resource. 00:35:37.300 --> 00:35:40.863 The change was imminent. 00:35:41.287 --> 00:35:46.904 Anyone who knows a bit about history of electricity knows 00:35:47.476 --> 00:35:53.555 that even after the first light bulbs lit the European streets, 00:35:53.676 --> 00:35:58.923 people forecast a complete shift in 10 year's time. 00:35:59.906 --> 00:36:02.309 As we know this didn't happen 00:36:03.905 --> 00:36:08.559 for different reasons. 00:36:09.156 --> 00:36:14.676 We know from experience we have to be careful 00:36:14.797 --> 00:36:16.397 and realistic. 00:36:17.881 --> 00:36:23.013 Your plans estimate 00:36:23.134 --> 00:36:30.492 that a half of Slovenian households receive electricity from solar energy. 00:36:32.405 --> 00:36:36.691 We will need to invest billions. 00:36:39.406 --> 00:36:45.660 Solar energy is green, but the panels are black. 00:36:46.156 --> 00:36:51.676 They can't be placed overall. We don't want Slovenia 00:36:52.062 --> 00:36:55.007 to become black. 00:36:55.155 --> 00:37:01.234 But we have many unused capacities, 00:37:01.355 --> 00:37:07.774 we have huge surfaces 00:37:08.156 --> 00:37:11.954 on the rooftops of public offices. 00:37:12.406 --> 00:37:16.143 Especially in sunny parts of Slovenia. 00:37:16.568 --> 00:37:20.354 The possibilities are huge. 00:37:21.156 --> 00:37:26.020 The Sun hides at night. 00:37:26.500 --> 00:37:34.372 If we want to fulfil these ambitions, 00:37:35.820 --> 00:37:42.202 the next few years will need to see the realization 00:37:42.574 --> 00:37:46.957 of the breakthrough in electricity storage. 00:37:47.906 --> 00:37:51.824 We need a post-lithium period. 00:37:52.406 --> 00:37:58.409 There's not enough lithium on the planet to make 00:37:58.554 --> 00:38:04.638 enough electrical cars if we wanted a total shift. 00:38:05.437 --> 00:38:08.207 There are some promising researches, 00:38:09.101 --> 00:38:12.035 but we're not there yet. 00:38:12.156 --> 00:38:18.187 A lot depends on achieving technological breakthroughs 00:38:18.308 --> 00:38:21.874 and how we're able to realize them. 00:38:22.249 --> 00:38:26.046 The history of electricity shows us 00:38:26.406 --> 00:38:32.231 that several patents received a go-ahead, 00:38:33.523 --> 00:38:37.200 but we're only now beginning to use them. 00:38:37.406 --> 00:38:41.919 There are many ifs, 00:38:42.656 --> 00:38:45.653 but if we focus on the known variables, 00:38:46.405 --> 00:38:49.114 we can say that 00:38:49.655 --> 00:38:53.356 Slovenia has a huge untapped potential 00:38:53.477 --> 00:38:57.561 for electrical energy production and consumption. 00:38:57.682 --> 00:39:00.458 Of course, we need heavy funding. 00:39:00.983 --> 00:39:05.770 We need available sources, some we'll have to create ourselves. 00:39:06.405 --> 00:39:11.185 The current trend of economic growth makes this possible. 00:39:11.906 --> 00:39:19.153 We need to know that the world has changed on February 24 this year. 00:39:19.905 --> 00:39:22.730 We're not aware of it enough. 00:39:24.405 --> 00:39:27.871 The sources 00:39:28.655 --> 00:39:33.240 that are available at home are in this changed world 00:39:33.906 --> 00:39:36.248 10 times more valuable than before. 00:39:36.992 --> 00:39:44.055 Despite being a part of the Common Energy Market of the EU, 00:39:47.614 --> 00:39:52.082 and the price of electricity being determined by 00:39:52.156 --> 00:39:57.036 a European formula that is constantly changing, 00:39:58.907 --> 00:40:04.164 Slovenia needs to prepare for a situation where this doesn't work 00:40:04.937 --> 00:40:09.841 and we can only use electricity that we produce at home. 00:40:10.656 --> 00:40:15.403 Not necessarily at home but close to our borders. 00:40:15.929 --> 00:40:21.539 That's why building small hydroelectric and solar power plants 00:40:22.101 --> 00:40:26.883 something we have to promote not only 00:40:27.004 --> 00:40:31.211 because of the green transition but also because of security. 00:40:32.023 --> 00:40:38.530 We are one massive cyberattack on the European grid away 00:40:39.179 --> 00:40:43.428 from outages that would last days, weeks or even months. 00:40:44.156 --> 00:40:47.991 Imagine living a week without electricity. 00:40:48.112 --> 00:40:52.553 Imagine how this would look like in hospitals. 00:40:53.156 --> 00:40:58.270 Whatever we build that produces electricity 00:40:58.906 --> 00:41:04.031 and that is at hand is of immense value 00:41:04.656 --> 00:41:10.716 that we start to appreciate when we desperately need it. 00:41:11.630 --> 00:41:15.349 Thank you to everyone, who is working towards this goal. 00:41:15.470 --> 00:41:19.060 Thank you for your cooperation in building this plant. 00:41:19.156 --> 00:41:24.005 To achieve the goals set in our plans 00:41:24.788 --> 00:41:30.272 we'd have to build the biggest solar plant every month. 00:41:31.811 --> 00:41:36.842 Or bigger than the one before. We've got a lot of work to do. 00:41:37.428 --> 00:41:43.561 To produce as much electricity as possible, we need sunny weather. 00:41:43.906 --> 00:41:47.421 So I wish you many sunny days. Thank you. 00:41:55.898 --> 00:41:59.773 Thank you for your words, Mr. Prime Minister. 00:41:59.952 --> 00:42:03.973 Please join me below the stage 00:42:04.242 --> 00:42:09.202 together with Viktor Vračar, HSE CEO, 00:42:09.656 --> 00:42:12.921 and Marko Funkelj, the Hrastnik municipality mayor. 00:42:13.147 --> 00:42:15.671 for the ceremonial ribbon cutting. 00:46:43.388 --> 00:46:48.677 Congratulations to the musicians, good luck in your future endeavors. 00:46:49.406 --> 00:46:54.810 Dear guests, solar energy is the main energy source on the Earth. 00:46:55.491 --> 00:46:59.613 In the course of one year, the Earth receives 00:46:59.921 --> 00:47:04.445 two times more energy from the Sun than all the gas, coal, oil and uranium 00:47:04.773 --> 00:47:07.679 supplies combined. 00:47:07.936 --> 00:47:12.679 It is our future. Green future for future generations. 00:47:13.405 --> 00:47:20.077 Today, in Prapretno near Hrastnik, we began to shape it together. 00:47:20.656 --> 00:47:24.663 We've made a crucial step towards a climate-neutral society. 00:47:24.906 --> 00:47:28.460 We hope to inspire many more. 00:47:28.780 --> 00:47:32.507 Thank you for joining me. 00:47:33.031 --> 00:47:35.866 I bid you a farewell from Zasavje region. 00:47:36.335 --> 00:47:37.935 Good luck!