NEK, Slovenia’s only nuclear power station, will act in line with the Environment Agency’s (ARSO) 2 October decision under which impact assessment and an environmental permit will be needed for NEK to extend the reactor’s 40-year life span by 20 years until 2043.
The response indicates that the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) will not challenge the decision. A day after receiving the document, NEK said today it could not say how long the procedures to extend its lifespan would take.
Only five months ago Martin Novšak, boss of Gen Energija, which owns the Slovenian share of the Croatia co-owned N-plant, said such procedures could be carried out in time.
ARSO’s decision comes after a group of NGOs successfully challenged its 2017 decision that no impact assessment was needed for the reactor’s life extension.
The 2017 decision was annulled by the Administrative Court in January, ordering ARSO to decide on the matter once again.
In its new decision, ARSO notes the court said the documents provided no explanation as to whether the extension would require works that would change the facility.
The agency moreover says that the extension of the reactor’s life would increase nuclear fuel waste by 50%, with NEK already struggling to store the existing waste.
Apart from wanting to extend the life of NEK, which produces around a third of Slovenia’s electricity output, Gen Energija has been working to secure the construction of NEK’s second reactor.
While Slovenian authorities seem to be in favour of it, a decision on whether to go ahead with the plan is expected to be adopted by 2027.