October 30, 2025
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France, Slovenia sign declaration on nuclear energy

Slovenia and France have signed a declaration on cooperation in the nuclear energy sector. The document was signed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Slovenia.

Slovenia has been developing a project to build a new unit at the Krško nuclear power plant for several years. In early September, the project’s developer, GEN Energija, said that three reactor projects offered by EDF and Westinghouse had been assessed as technically feasible for the site of the future Krško 2 nuclear power plant.

According to the Slovenia Times, Macron and Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob committed to closer cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the economy and energy.

 Golob: France is a European nuclear power

The two countries signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of education and a declaration of intent to establish long-term cooperation in the nuclear energy sector.

According to Golob, France is a European nuclear power that is building its carbon-free future based on the development of this energy source. There is good cooperation between experts from the two countries, he recalled at a joint press conference in Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, stressing that the declaration opens up new opportunities.

Golob said he is convinced that between two equally qualified bidders for Krško 2, Slovenia will be able to choose the solution that best serves its long-term interests and that gives regional importance to the project.

The potential new power plant is not intended only for Slovenia

Krško 1 was built using US technology, but Golob also sees certain advantages in the French bidder, EDF. He revealed that the potential new power plant is not intended only for Slovenia, but would also enable Southeastern Europe to meet a significant portion of its electricity needs.

In October 2024, Slovenia canceled a referendum on building its second nuclear unit. However, GEN Energija continued to develop the project.

In July this year, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning initiated the preparation of a spatial plan for the second unit of the Krško nuclear power plant and invited the public to submit comments.

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October 16, 2025
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UPDATE: CEO Dejan Paravan leaving Slovenian state-owned GEN energija

CEO of Slovenian state-owned energy utility GEN energija Dejan Paravan has resigned. According to a news report, he is joining NGEN, but the company still didn’t comment on the speculation.

GEN energija, which is developing a project for Slovenia’s second nuclear power plant, is about to appoint a new CEO. After necenzurirano.si reported that Dejan Paravan, the current head of the government-controlled energy company, has quit, the supervisory board officially acknowledged that he submitted his resignation on October 10.

The news website also learned that he would assume a position at privately owned NGEN, which didn’t issue any statements yet on the matter. The same media outlet later wrote that Paravan has agreed to step down at the end of November.

Nada Drobne Popović and Bruno Glaser, the other two members of the board, allegedly offered their resignations and they were rejected.

Paravan has been a close associate of Prime Minister Robert Golob for two decades. The government appointed him as CEO in October 2022.

GEN energija holds the Slovenian half of the Krško nuclear power plant (NEK or, in Slovenian, JEK), and owns hydropower plant operators Savske elektrarne Ljubljana (SEL) and Hidroelektrarne na Spodnji Savi (HESS), and the Brestanica gas-fired power plant.

GEN-I, which was co-founded by Prime Minister Golob, is also part of GEN Group. He was the firm’s CEO until 2021.

As GEN energija’s chief, Paravan is responsible for the NEK 2 (JEK 2) project, for another nuclear power plant. The investment is valued at between EUR 9 billion and EUR 16 billion.

A referendum was scheduled about the proposal, but the National Assembly canceled the vote a year ago.

NGEN builds and operates battery energy storage systems (BESS), and develops software and hardware for running decentralized systems, cybersecurity and access to all segments of the energy market.

Of note, both Dejan Paravan and Co-Founder and CEO of NGEN Group Roman Bernard spoke at this year’s Belgrade Energy Forum (BEF 2025), organized by Balkan Green Energy News.

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September 22, 2025
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Slovenia denies sending offer to Croatia for joint construction of Krško 2 nuclear power plant

Slovenian authorities denied a report that they sent Croatia an offer for the joint construction of the Krško 2 nuclear power plant.

Earlier, Croatian Novi List reported that Slovenia has sent Croatia an official proposal to build a new unit in the existing nuclear power plant Krško.

The model is far less favorable for Croatia than the current management model of the Krško nuclear power plant, the media outlet noted.

However, the office of Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy Bojan Kumer, and GEN Energija, the company in charge of the project, denied proposing such an offer.

Golob has recently informed Plenković about preparations for Krško 2

At the last bilateral meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in Vinica, Prime Minister Golob informed him about activities related to preparations for the decision on the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Krško, the prime minister’s office added.

Minister Kumer stressed that Slovenia hasn’t made any offer to Croatia. He noted that Slovenia has only just begun spatial planning for a potential new nuclear power plant.

Kumer: Slovenia must first do its homework

Slovenia first needs to do its homework and set a business model, and then it could begin talks about a joint venture, Kumer added.

According to Novi List, experts called the proposal inappropriate. The Slovenian side allegedly offered Croatia a 25% stake, compared to the current 50% in the Krško nuclear power plant.

Moreover, Croatia would only receive the profit from the sale of electricity equivalent to its ownership in the power plant, according to the article. The country now gets 50% of the electricity produced in the existing Krško nuclear power plant.

Slovenia’s state-owned power company GEN would control 25% of the project, while the Slovenian government would hold 51%, the news website learned.

​ Šušnjar: The country should build a nuclear power plant on its territory

Of note, Croatian Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar repeated last week that his country should build a nuclear power plant on its territory.

He noted that several sites were being considered, and recalled that when Croatia was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which fell apart in the early 1990s, the authorities were examining locations in Ivanić Grad, Erdut, and Vir island.

Also, there is new speculation that the site of the Plomin coal-fired thermal power plant is a potential location for. Šušnjar confirmed that the facility is scheduled to be closed in 2032 or 2033.

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September 15, 2025
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Croatia considering nuclear power plant on its territory – minister

Croatia is considering the possibility of building a nuclear power plant on its territory, according to Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar.

Experts will decide whether it will be small modular reactors (SMRs) or a conventional nuclear power plant, Ante Šušnjar stressed, as quoted by Novi List.

He opined that building a nuclear power plant is a geopolitical and security gain for a country. The minister suggested that Croatia could apply for funds from the European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework – the seven-year budget.

Three locations were considered in former Yugoslavia

Šušnjar said multiple sites were being considered for the nuclear plant, but he wouldn’t reveal details. He recalled that when Croatia was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which fell apart in the early 1990s, the authorities were examining locations in Ivanić Grad, Erdut, and Vir island. The last of the three was rejected due to tourism.

Croatia and Slovenia jointly operate the Krško nuclear power plant, and cooperation on building a second unit is also possible.

Meetings about cooperation have already taken place with the US

Šušnjar’s claims that everyone in the world and the EU considers nuclear energy a low-carbon source for the transition to renewables. He added it is baseload energy that can power the production of green hydrogen.

In February, the ministry established a working group for analysis and legislation that could enable the introduction of nuclear energy in the country Croatia has already held meetings with United States officials on possible cooperation in the nuclear energy sector.

Of note, just a week ago, Germany and France agreed to work together on shaping a common European energy policy that would include nuclear power as a low-carbon energy source.

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July 2, 2025
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Slovenia launches public consultation on spatial plan for second unit at Krško nuclear plant

The Slovenian Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning initiated the development of a spatial plan on the country level for the second unit of nuclear power plant Krško. It invited the public to submit comments and suggestions.

The initiative was announced at a press conference last week by representatives of GEN energija, the state-owned company developing the Krško 2 (NEK 2) project. The document has now been made public and will remain available for comments until the end of September.

The initiative will be available for comments until the end of September

To keep the public informed, GEN energija will open information offices in several locations across Slovenia – Krško, Ljubljana, Maribor, and Nova Gorica.

At the press conference, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy Tina Sršen described the document as a “milestone,” adding that the project was now moving into broader social and professional coordination.

Final decision on capacity and technology expected in 2028

GEN energija’s chief operating officer, Bruno Glaser, said the capacity of the proposed second unit and the technology to be used have yet to be determined, but that the initiative envisages a capacity of 1,000 MW to 1,650 MW.

He also said that the final investment decision should be made in 2028, along with decisions on the reactor’s capacity and the supplier.

Croatia is willing to participate in the Krško 2 project

Another issue to be resolved before a final investment decision is made is the possible participation of other investors. Croatia has repeatedly expressed its interest in taking part in the project, recalled Gen Energija CEO Dejan Paravan, noting that Croatia’s state-owned power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP) co-owns the existing power plant in Krško.

Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and his Croatian counterpart, Andrej Plenkovič, discussed the topic at a recent meeting, according to Paravan.

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June 13, 2025
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Krško 2 nuclear project not profitable for private investors but state could find motive – study

Slovenian non-governmental organization Mladi za Podnebno Pravičnost (Youth for Climate Justice) has conducted what it claims to be the first independent economic study on the construction of a second unit of the Krško nuclear power plant.

The economic study on the Krško 2 project (JEK2) showed that the project would not be profitable for a private investor but could be viable for the Government of Slovenia. The authors recommended that, before making a final decision, studies should be produced under two nationwide scenarios: 100% renewable energy or a combination of renewable energy and Krško 2.

Youth for Climate Justice said the largest project in Slovenia’s history requires at least one independent, detailed economic study. It needs to set aside both the potential investors’ aspirations and the opposition to the construction of the second nuclear power plant, the NGO stressed.

The referendum fiasco opened the way for a different approach to the project, but politicians demonstrated no interest, so the organization took the initiative. The study and proposal for a comprehensive project management framework took over a year.

The organization presented four main findings from the study.

The state can go through with the project if it doesn’t count on a profit margin

First, the project is not economically viable for a private company, the authors said and added such a scenario is therefore unlikely. Under a common economic logic, the state would also decide against the endeavor as it wouldn’t be able to achieve the desired return on investment.

However, due to the project’s strategic importance, the state could opt for a version without a profit margin and define the price of electricity generated in Krško 2 at a breakeven level, the study reads.

In that case, there is a chance the project could be profitable after all, as such a price would still be a bit lower than the one that the operator would achieve in the market.

The state could also secure other benefits such as low-carbon, stable energy with minimal impact on biodiversity, the organization noted.

Two important recommendations

The study’s authors suggested establishing a new management framework, giving the project a chance of success and to avoid repeating the issues seen with the TEŠ 6 project, for the sixth unit of the Šoštanj coal-fired power plant.

Of note, there was much controversy over the decision to build it. TEŠ 6 began operating in 2016, but now it is facing closure. The construction cost exceeded the budget, raising suspicions of corruption.

There are two scenarios for the development of Slovenia’s power system

Finally, the NGO recommended reviewing two scenarios for the development of Slovenia’s power system before making a final decision: 100% renewable energy and renewable energy combined with Krško 2.

“Based on that, we will know whether it makes sense for the state to waive financial gains and build JEK 2 or if there are better alternatives for the development of the system,” Youth for Climate Justice underlined.

The study has been presented to the public, but stakeholders will have another opportunity to discuss it on Wednesday, June 18, in Ljubljana.

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May 27, 2025
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Decarbonization of Southeastern European region: both renewables and nuclear are speeding up

Energy transition in Southeastern Europe is accelerating, and the progress depends on individual countries’ strategies and legal frameworks. At the Belgrade Energy Forum (BEF 2025), representatives of state-owned power utilities and private producers discussed the different approaches to decarbonization. The domination of investments in renewable energy is unquestionable, but there are also ambitions to develop nuclear capacities, spearheaded by Slovenia. The country is already operating one nuclear reactor and is developing a project for another one.

The electricity sector in Southeast Europe still depends for a large part on thermal power plants that burn fossil fuels. In 2023, they accounted for 43% of overall output, of which two-thirds were from lignite and the rest from gas. There is a need for accelerated decarbonization, and the speed of the transition will depend on financial possibilities and the political will and decisions, said the panel’s moderator and Director of Zagreb-based Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar Dražen Jakšić.

The acceleration trend in decarbonization is also evident in the electricity market projections for the region until 2030. The plans for the period until the end of the decade include shutting down 6.2 GW of thermal power plant capacity and installing 42.3 GW from renewable sources. Greece, Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria are expected to add the most.

Top executives of state-owned utilities in Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro and independent power producers that invest in renewables in the region gathered at a panel called Decarbonisation strategies for power generation in Southeast Europe 2040/2050 at Belgrade Energy Forum 2025.

They agreed that decarbonization is well underway and an unstoppable process already speeding up significantly. The participants in the discussion presented the different strategies their companies will act upon in the following years and decades, leading the process to fulfilment.

Among the messages that they shared is that they expect each government to promote investments and make the legal framework clear and certain, while the countries strengthen their ties and exchange experiences. Green energy is the pillar of the energy transition and decarbonization in the region, but several states are also interested in building their first nuclear power plants—conventional ones or small modular reactors (SMRs)—or expanding the existing capacity.

EPS’s Živković: Decarbonization requires energy storage, nuclear plants

Chief Executive Officer of Serbia’s Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) Dušan Živković pointed out that the state-controlled electricity producer is committed to its goals regarding green energy and emission reductions as well as to the country’s targets. “We will work on that, of course, believing in these objectives, but without compromising energy security and the energy sovereignty of Serbia. It was proven to be the only sustainable path,” he asserted.

The company particularly counts on the project for solar power plants with a total connection capacity of 1 GW, with batteries of 200 MW in combined capability. The investment is conducted through a strategic partnership with Hyundai Engineering and UGT Renewables (UGTR).

A study is underway in Serbia on the potential for the construction of large nuclear power plants and small modular reactors

The decarbonization process won’t be easily feasible without serious energy storage capacity, Živković warned and added that nuclear energy wouldn’t be unrealistic. A study is underway on the possibilities of building large nuclear plants and small modular reactors in Serbia.

The head of EPS expressed the belief that “the quality of that energy needs to be visualized” for citizens of every country and that they should be explained that it is necessary to provide energy for the economy and its security.

CEOs Dejan Paravan of GEN energija, Dušan Živković of EPS and Eric Scotto of Akuo

No dilemma in Serbia about energy transition

Country Manager of WV-International in Serbia Neda Lazendić highlighted the said strategic partnership for solar power plants with battery energy storage systems (BESS), saying Hyundai Engineering is a world-renowned company.

In her view, the endeavor will be a milestone for the entire region and it is exceptionally important for gaining experience at the domestic level.

The recent second round of auctions for electricity from renewable sources showed that Serbia opted for the energy transition “and there is not any dilemma about it anymore,” Lazendić stressed and said the country is an example for the region. The prices from the bidding that were accepted are appealing and they match European trends, she noted.

Country Manager of WV-International Neda Lazendić

Lignite is highly unprofitable

Slovenia and GEN energija, one of the state-owned power utilities, are relying on both renewable sources and nuclear energy in their decarbonization investments, the company’s CEO Dejan Paravan pointed out.

“We want to get rid of coal as soon as possible. And in the short term, renewables are the only option. Why get rid of coal? The current production of domestic lignite is highly unprofitable, and because of climate goals,” he explained.

Nevertheless, it is exceptionally complicated to get permits for renewables and place them in the environment, Paravan added. On the other hand, nuclear energy is emissions-free and very stable and reliable, he asserted. The technology takes up the least space and enables the production of huge amounts of electricity, the head of GEN energija said.

Nuclear power plant Krško 2 could come online in 2040

Paravan recalled that two years ago nuclear power plant Krško marked four decades since it was commissioned and that its operating life was extended by 20 years. GEN energija is working on the Krško 2 project. The chief executive expects construction to begin in 2022 or 2023 and that the reactor could be connected to the grid in 2040.

In parallel, the company is studying SMRs. Still, the development of the technology will take a long time and, importantly, such facilities won’t have the advantage of scale like large reactors, he said. One who expects electricity from SMRs to be cheaper than from big nuclear plants is wrong, in Paravan’s view.

As for the dilemma between renewable sources and nuclear energy, he expressed the belief that they are not mutually exclusive. “We need renewables and they can provide us a lot of CO2-free electricity in the short run. But let’s make it clear that once we come to 70%, 80%, 90% based on renewables, that we have a problem of seasonal storage, that things will get very difficult,” Paravan stated.

Batteries are ten times cheaper than ten years ago

Conversely, Akuo Energy’s CEO Eric Scotto pointed out that nuclear power is expensive. “It’s over. We won the race. Renewable is the cheapest way to produce energy,” he underscored.

The price of energy storage capacity is ten times lower than ten years ago, the head of the French company noted. Moreover, operating power of a battery system in a standard TEU container, twenty feet or 6.1 meters long, now reaches 6 MW, which is three times more than three years ago, according to Scotto.

To attract investments, stability is necessary, he stressed. Scotto went on to highlight some “simple things” that could help Akuo, which was one of the winners at the last auction round in Serbia, to materialize its projects for two wind parks. He mentioned the speed of permitting for telecommunication systems and road construction, for power plants.

Turning to the slowness of the energy transition in Balkan countries, he emphasized its positive side. “We are late. Then we will benefit from the cheapest resource, the cheapest way to produce energy,” Scotto concluded.

EPCG’s Solari project kicked off energy transition in Montenegro

Technical Director of Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) Ljubiša Đurković called the state-owned power utility’s projects Solari 3000+ and Solari 500+ the start of the energy transition in Montenegro. Since the beginning of 2023 and including Solari 5000+, launched later, the company set up photovoltaic systems on 7,380 structures, he revealed.

Total peak capacity reached 76 MW and another 125 MW will be installed by the end of the year, EPCG’s official said.

Among its projects, the company is building the Gvozd wind farm, and the Kapino polje solar park near Nikšić.

Technical Director of EPCG Ljubiša Đurković

There is already 10 MW on roofs in the former Željezara steel plant in Nikšić, and before the end of the year another 15.5 MW will be connected to the grid, Đurković said. A contract has been signed for the construction of the eighth generator in the Perućica hydropower plant, of 58 MW. It is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Đurković: A realistic date for the closure of the Pljevlja thermal power plant is between 2045 and 2050

The energy transition is about a single and connected system, including storage capacities and measures to improve energy efficiency, he underscored. “You have to create the conditions for a swift integration of renewable energy sources into the distribution and transmission networks. We were supposed to do that already. We didn’t do it, particularly in the Western Balkans. We didn’t reconstruct the distribution and transmission networks,” he stated.

As for the current reconstruction of the coal-fired Pljevlja thermal power plant, the only one in Montenegro, Đurković said the project wouldn’t make sense if the facility were to keep operating only for a short while longer.

žAccording to the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), which is almost complete, it will remain active at least until 2041, although the realistic date for its closure is only between 2045 and 2050, in the opinion of EPCG’s technical director. The main phase of the reconstruction began at the end of March.

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