Krško Nuclear Power Plant Gets Environmental Approval to Extend Its Lifetime from 40 to 60 Years

After more than two years, the complex and extensive procedure of obtaining the environmental approval for extending the operating life of the plant from 40 to 60 years has been completed. The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, which conducted the procedure in compliance with Slovenian environmental legislation and the provisions of the Espoo and Aarhus Conventions, issued an environmental approval on Friday, 13 January 2023; it comprises 300 pages. More than 50 experts from the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) and institutions from Slovenia and Croatia participated in the process.

In accordance with the decision of the Slovenian Environment Agency (2 October 2020), an environmental impact assessment (EIA) had to be carried out and an environmental approval obtained for the Lifetime Extension of NEK from 40 to 60 Years by 2043. NEK submitted its application to the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning in early October 2021 when the process of obtaining the environmental approval formally began. The Project and Environmental Impact Report were attached to the application.

In Slovenia, we had a public consultation, obtained the opinions of spatial planning department, discussed the topic orally with side participants, and responded in writing to all received opinions, comments and remarks. Croatia, Austria, Italy, Hungary and Germany joined the cross-border assessment process. In this procedure, public consultations, public presentations and hearings, and technical consultations also took place. We provided written, substantiated answers to all comments and remarks received.