Prime Minister Golob: »The spatial location of JEK 2 is the first step towards concrete solutions«
Prime Minister Robert Golob visited the Krško Nuclear Power Plant and TIPS d. o. o. in the Posavje region, concluding his visit with a meeting with mayors and representatives of the Posavje region's business community | Author Nebojša Tejič, STA
At today’s session, the government adopted a decision on the preparation of a national spatial plan (NSP) for the Krško 2 Nuclear Power Plant, which was prepared on the basis of an initiative by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy and based on an analysis of the policies and data of spatial planning authorities, the municipality, and proposals from the public.
After the meeting, Prime Minister Golob made a statement to the media, in which he emphasised that our nuclear power plant is among the safest in Europe and the world. He added that our nuclear science is years ahead of similar countries that are currently striving to build nuclear facilities. And it is precisely because of its safety culture that Slovenia is in a position to make a qualified decision with all the information needed on whether to build a second unit or not. The Prime Minister therefore thanked all employees at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant for their contribution. »We are proud of you, your work and your safety culture,« said Prime Minister Golob.
He reminded that at today’s field session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia discussed the beginning of the preparation of the national spatial plan for the location of the second unit of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant. »With this, we have formally begun a process that is a step towards concrete solutions and concrete data for the new nuclear power plant unit,« said the Prime Minister, recalling the dilemmas of a year and a half ago regarding the consultative referendum on Unit 2.
»At the time, there was talk that a referendum didn’t really make sense because we didn’t know exactly what we were deciding on. The process was launched today, and spatial planning is the first step on this path. We will decide on it in a referendum, which is expected to be at the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028, when we will have all the information on the table,« said the Prime Minister. »We will know where the block will be located, under what conditions it will be built, who the supplier will be, and what its final price will be.«
He added that the second report, also discussed by the government today, was a report from the Ministry of Finance regarding the most appropriate model for financing such an investment. »It turns out that this is a very important issue. When it comes to the final price of electricity from a nuclear facility, according to global experience, as much as half of the price depends on financing costs. This is a type of project that is very capital-intensive, with long repayment periods. Therefore, the scheme and financing costs are key to financial success,« the Prime Minister added.
»The prices we were informed about today are very favourable for the development of energy-intensive industry in Slovenia and for the economic development of the country. We are happy to continue the procedures to reach the point in the next two years when citizens will be able to decide whether we want to build a second unit or not,« said Prime Minister Golob.
Continuing his visit to the region, Prime Minister Golob visited the company TIPS d. o. o., which produces high-quality and technologically advanced ground support equipment for airports and exports 98 per cent of its production. Prime Minister Golob concluded his visit to the region with a meeting with mayors and representatives of the economy of Posavje.