NE Krško Reduces Production by 20 Percent Due to Overheated Sava River
Board Member Saša Medaković assures that supply to Croatia and Slovenia is not at risk, but warns of further reductions and a complete shutdown if river temperatures worsen.
Board Member Saša Medaković assures that supply to Croatia and Slovenia is not at risk, but warns of further reductions and a complete shutdown if river temperatures worsen.
The Krško Nuclear Power Plant, which supplies electricity to Croatia and Slovenia, plans to reduce its output by 20 percent on the night from Wednesday to Thursday. The reason is the high temperature of the Sava River, used for cooling the facility, which has approached the legally prescribed environmental limit.
Saša Medaković, a member of the NE Krško management board, explained to HRT that the plant is currently operating safely and stably, but that they are approaching the limit. "When the Sava's inlet temperature at the plant exceeds 25 degrees, combined with our additional heating of three degrees, we reach the 28-degree limit, at which point we are obliged to reduce the plant's output," said Medaković.
He emphasized that the plant is technically and safely capable of operating at higher temperatures, but this requires approval from Slovenian authorities for a temporary relaxation of the discharge water temperature limit. "A prerequisite for this is easing the temperature restriction so we can further heat the Sava at the outlet," he added.
Medaković also revealed a detailed action plan if the heatwave continues. The first phase is a 20 percent power reduction. If that proves insufficient, further reductions will follow. "If the situation continues to worsen, we would reduce power by another 15 percent twice within three to four days. If we reached 50 percent of the plant's capacity, we would not go below that; instead, we would completely shut down the plant within five to seven days," he said.
He stressed that a potential shutdown would not be due to a malfunction but solely an administrative decision. "The plant is completely safe and operational, and it is ready to resume electricity production within one day. There are no other risks," Medaković stated.
Comparing the situation with other nuclear power plants in the region, Medaković warned of serious problems in Hungary and Romania. "Unlike us, the Paks and Cernavodă nuclear power plants are in a situation where they physically cannot access water from the Danube," he said. These plants had already requested and received approval in June 2026 to temporarily increase the permitted river heating, but now even that does not help because the Danube's water level is so low that they cannot draw enough cooling water.
"Even when the state needs them, they are unable to deliver electricity," Medaković warned, emphasizing that NE Krško, despite current challenges, remains operational and ready to meet the needs of the power system.
Medaković concluded that there is no need to worry about the security of supply. He noted that nuclear power plants are designed for extreme conditions and that out of about a hundred such facilities in Europe, only a few have had to reduce output during the current and previous heatwaves. "I think we should not worry about this. We have the technical capabilities for production. All decision-makers are aware of this and have mechanisms they can use," he said.
