Warm Sava Threatens Krško: Croatia Without Power for Zagreb?
The Krško Nuclear Power Plant could start reducing output in a few days due to rising Sava River temperatures, but Prime Minister Plenković assures that electricity supply is secure.
The Krško Nuclear Power Plant could start reducing output in a few days due to rising Sava River temperatures, but Prime Minister Plenković assures that electricity supply is secure.
The Krško Nuclear Power Plant, which daily supplies Croatia with an amount of electricity equivalent to the consumption of the entire city of Zagreb, faces a potential reduction in output. The reason is not a malfunction or safety issue, but the increasingly warm Sava River used for reactor cooling.
According to a representative of NE Krško, Medaković, the Sava's temperature is approaching legally permitted limits. "For yesterday, the average heating temperature reached 25.7 degrees. The daily increase in the temperature of the Sava's intake at NE Krško is about 0.5 or 0.6 degrees per day. So we're talking about one, two, or three days until we reach the point where we must act," Medaković stated for RTL.
The plant is bound by strict environmental permits obtained in 2023 during its lifetime extension. These stipulate that the Sava may be heated by a maximum of three degrees, and the absolute limit for water temperature at the point of complete mixing is 28 degrees.
Medaković explained what a gradual power reduction scenario would look like if the Slovenian ministry does not approve an exemption from these rules. "The scenario we anticipate, if needed, is that we would first reduce the plant's power output in three stages. The first is to 80 percent, and we would stay at that level for a day or two. Then we would further reduce power by 15 percent in two steps. When we reach 50 percent, the plant would have to be completely shut down. The entire process would take five to seven days," he said.
"That's about eight or nine gigawatt-hours daily, which on an annual average corresponds to the consumption of the city of Zagreb," Medaković noted, emphasizing Krško's importance to Croatia's power system.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who was on Brač on Tuesday, reassures the public and claims there is no reason for concern. "Supply security is guaranteed. HEP announced yesterday, and there is no doubt that Croatia will have enough electricity. Regarding Krško, I was with Minister Šušnjar yesterday, who is in contact with his Slovenian counterpart, and there is no threat," Plenković said.
However, the Prime Minister did not answer whether the difficult situation on the European energy market could lead to higher electricity prices for citizens.
Medaković particularly emphasized that a potential power reduction has nothing to do with nuclear safety. "I must stress that we have no safety threats. The nuclear power plant is operating at full capacity, all systems are running without any restrictions, and nuclear safety is in no way compromised," he highlighted.
The decision on a possible production reduction will depend on further increases in the Sava's temperature and the readiness of Slovenian authorities to approve a temporary exemption from environmental restrictions. For now, the plant operates without any limitations.
