The construction of Krško NPP started in year 1975 and was concluded in 1981. During 1982 numerous test were performed and in January 1983 Krško NPP started with commercial production. One year later regular operation of Krško NPP was approved. Introduction of nuclear energy was a great challenge for involved scientific and technical experts, legislators, and all domestic companies acting either as contractors or subcontractors.
The Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) is of strategic importance for the Republic of Slovenia, producing electricity for users in Slovenia and Croatia. It generates over five billion kWh of electrical energy per year, which represents approximately 40% of the total electricity produced in Slovenia.
During the energy policy debates in the period 2003-2004 and 2010-2012, variety of NGOs and individuals suggested to elaborate scenarios for transition to renewable sources of energy. However, the government of Slovenia never seriously considered the suggestions. Several alternatives, such as for example the Greenpeaces Energy (r)evolution were proposed, but so far no serious political debate has started about these alternatives.
NPP Krško is equally co-owned by Slovenia and Croatia. According to the original plan, it was envisioned to build two NPPs, one in each ex-Yugoslav republic. However, that plan was abandoned due to a rise of an anti-nuclear movement among students in Slovenia. Later, in the 1990s, Slovenia’s anti-nuclear group became a Green Party. The movement managed to ban production of energy from nuclear sources across ex-Yugoslavia, however it did not succeed to close NPP Krško (Jancar-Webster, 1993).
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