Krško cooperation shows looming energy gap can be filled by reactors
For over 40 years, the single-unit Krško nuclear power station has served as a model of cross-border cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia – countries where a looming gap in energy supply can only realistically be filled by a clean and firm source such as nuclear, the chair of the European Nuclear Young Generation Forum (ENYGF) told NucNet.
Commissioned in 1983 and jointly owned by Slovenia’s GEN Energija and Croatia’s Hrvatska elektroprivreda, the pressurised water reactor plant has supplied around 20% of Slovenia’s and 16% of Croatia’s electricity needs.
As Europe revises its climate targets and energy security rises to the top of national agendas, Krško’s importance is growing. In 2016, Slovenia and Croatia agreed to extend the plant’s operational life to 2043, following a detailed environmental assessment by Slovenia’s ministry of the environment and spatial planning.
More recently, attention has turned to a planned second reactor unit, JEK2, with Slovenia preparing feasibility studies and international partnerships, including with France’s EDF and US-based Westinghouse.
While Croatia has yet to formally join the JEK2 initiative, it has expressed strong interest in further nuclear engagement. This includes evaluating the deployment of small modular reactors and investing in the full nuclear lifecycle, including the long-awaited construction of a low- and intermediate-level waste repository, to mirror Slovenia’s progress in that field.
Matija Pisk, a member of the Croatian Nuclear Society and a reactor operator, said ENYGF 2025, to be held in Zagreb from 2-6 June, is “a declaration that our region is serious about developing nuclear expertise from the ground up”.
“We have shown that a handful of young professionals can pull together a major international event. That is the kind of momentum we want to build on,” he said.
Hosted by the Croatian Nuclear Society, ENYGF 2025 will bring together young professionals, students, researchers and industry stakeholders from across Europe, with a particular emphasis on Central and Southeastern Europe.
According to Pisk, the forum is a culmination of grassroots enthusiasm and a strategic investment in regional capacity-building.
“To be successful in this regard, we need to strengthen connections with all of Europe’s institutions, companies, agencies, work on knowledge transfer and exchange of experience and in the end, strive for institutional excellence from the day one,” Pisk told NucNet.
“Now, we’re preparing to welcome young leaders who will one day manage projects like JEK2, oversee regulatory bodies, and lead public dialogue on nuclear energy.”
The forum’s agenda is designed not only to exchange technical knowledge, but also to reinforce partnerships between universities, national agencies, and industry players. Special focus is being placed on the nuclear course at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb, seen as a vital pipeline for Croatia’s future nuclear workforce.
Working Towards A Shared Nuclear Vision
Pisk said that in many ways, Krško is a case study of what’s possible when two countries align on strategy and execution.
“We see no insurmountable challenges between Slovenia and Croatia which couldn’t be addressed,” said Pisk. “Political will in Croatia is strong, so is the will for energy independence.”
“The Croatian Nuclear Society believes that nuclear must be a part of future energy mix of Croatia. But we must work more closely – with utilities, ministries and academic institutions – to meet our obligations like waste storage and to shape a shared nuclear vision.”
Pisk noted that both Slovenia and Croatia have largely exhausted their potential for new hydropower development, while coal-fired plants are approaching the end of their operational lives.
He warned that this looming gap in energy supply could only realistically be filled by a clean and firm source such as nuclear energy.
