Krško, 16 June 2023
Prime Minister Dr. Golob announced a preliminary decision on the JEK2 project during his visit to Krško
Družbo GEN energija visited today by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Robert Golob, Minister of the Environment, Climate, and Energy, Mag. Bojan Kumer, and Minister of Natural Resources and Space, Uroš Brežan, with colleagues. GEN's CEO, Dr. Dejan Paravan, presented the operation of the GEN Group and its development plans, particularly the central strategic development project – JEK2.
Dr. Paravan, along with colleagues, briefed the government delegation on activities related to the JEK2 project and announced accelerated activities to prepare for decision-making on the project. Together with the relevant ministries, a coordinated plan with milestones in the decision-making process leading to the final investment decision will be prepared.
“We are supplementing the application for the preparation of the national spatial plan (DPN) for JEK2 to accommodate a power plant with greater capacity. The energy permit issued by the Ministry of Infrastructure in July 2021 was limited to 1100 MW. By increasing the capacity, we aim to expand the range of potential suppliers, and with a more powerful unit, we open up better opportunities for a strategic partnership,” said Paravan. He added that GEN Energy has obtained initial cost estimates for JEK2 from three suppliers with whom technical dialogues have been conducted. The information is comparable and closer to the final prices of power plants already under construction. “In GEN Energy, we are already thinking about financing the construction of JEK2; we will examine various business models and practices worldwide,” said Dr. Paravan.
In addition to visiting GEN, the Prime Minister and the delegation also visited the Krško Nuclear Power Plant. The new CEO of NEK informed them about the latest safety upgrades and the excellent operation of the power plant, which received permission to operate until 2043 earlier this year.
At the end of the visit to Krško, Prime Minister Dr. Golob and Ministers Kumer and Brežan attended a public consultation on the future of nuclear energy, held at the Krško Municipality. During the consultation, together with GEN’s CEO Paravan, NEK’s CEO Pfeifer, and former long-time NEK CEO Rožman, they discussed key issues related to the future of nuclear energy in Slovenia, specifically focusing on the JEK2 project.
Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob emphasized during the consultation that there is no doubt Slovenia is and will remain a nuclear country. He announced that the government would make a preliminary decision to support the JEK2 project by August. The appointment of a national coordinator in the office of the Prime Minister was also anticipated, who would coordinate the work of ministries and other stakeholders in the field of nuclear energy. Dr. Golob also mentioned the possibility of enacting a special law for JEK2 to simplify and expedite the administrative procedures needed for project implementation.
