Slovenia, Croatia discuss settlement of nuclear plant waste

Slovenia presented Croatia with plans for additional radioactive waste repositories for the mutually-owned nuclear power station NEK in Krsko at a joint commission meeting on Monday.

The Croatian part of the joint commission is expected to examine and respond to the plans within six months, the Slovenian press agency, STA reported on Monday.

Slovenian Infrastructure Minister Peter Gaspersic and Croatian Economy Minister Ivan Vrdoljak chaired the meeting; the first after a five-year break in the joint overseeing of the implementation of the 2002 bilateral agreement on the two countries' sole nuclear plant.

Gaspersic highlighted that in the debate, there were plans made to construct a dry storage facility for used nuclear fuel and Slovenia invited Croatia to examine the possibility of helping invest in the construction of a Slovenian repository for low and medium radioactive waste in Vrbina near Krsko.

Vrdoljak said Croatia agreed with the dry storage facility construction plans and would order its expert services to draw up a proposal for a revision of the radioactive waste and used fuel repositories programs.

The commission is expected to meet again after this revision, probably at the end of the year, Vrdoljak announced.

The commission moreover okayed a report by the plant's management, establishing that the operative tasks in the agreement between the two countries had been successfully carried out since the commission last met and that the plant had performed well.

The commission also backed the extension of NEK's life cycle from 40 to 60 years, or until 2043, which is also the reason for the revision of the repositories program, as well as the program for the decommissioning of the plant.

Until new programs are adopted, Croatia's and Slovenia's contributions to the decommissioning fund will remain at their present level.

The next session of the commission will be convened by Slovenia. Asked why it took five years for the commission to meet again, Vrdoljak said this was a question for the two ministers' predecessors.