STA, 14 July 2020 - Slovenia and Croatia confirmed on Tuesday revised programmes for the decommissioning of the Krško nuclear power station and the storage of radioactive waste, as the ministers in charge of energy chaired a session of the intergovernmental commission on the management of the jointly-owned power station.

The revised programmes had previously been confirmed by the Slovenian government and the Croatian parliament and reflect the decision to extend operation of the plant by 20 years beyond its originally planned shutdown in 2023, and the decision that each country will build its own radwaste repository.

"I am very satisfied that after a long time the two countries have finally implemented the commitment from the intergovernmental programme and confirmed the third revision... The programmes are crucial for the preservation of excellent and safe operations" of the power station, Slovenian Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec was quoted as saying.

Croatian Energy Minister Tomislav Ćorić likewise expressed satisfaction. "I'm glad we have successfully brought this long process to a conclusion," he said according to the Slovenian Infrastructure Ministry.

The next session of the intergovernmental commission is scheduled to take place in Slovenia in the first half of 2021.

Slovenia plans to store its portion of nuclear waste in Vrbina, close to the power station, a project which is already well under way. Croatia plans to build a repository in Čerkezovac, close to the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina, by 2024.

STA, 18 June 2020 - The government has compiled a list of key investments that will be given priority treatment in administrative procedures so as to help kick-start the economy. The list currently features 187 investments worth EUR 7.7 billion and will be updated on an ongoing basis, Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak told the press on Thursday.

The minister said the main intention of the third stimulus package and the list of investments was to promote the implementation of projects which had come to a standstill due to bureaucratic complications.

A special task force will examine the projects giving them a priority mark based on their feasibility and whether their finances are already clear, he explained after the government session.

It will get down to work in the coming days, "starting with the projects which are closest to being implemented and which can be brought to life fastest".

The task force will feature representatives of agencies and other offices which are key in the process of obtaining permits.

This new approach could well halve the duration of certain administrative procedures, Vizjak said, adding that "the change at the helm of many institutions important for obtaining permits" would also make these offices act in a less bureaucratic manner.

The list features 22 environment projects worth EUR 310 million and 19 energy projects worth EUR 650 million, including a new reactor at Nuclear Power Plant in Krško.

There are also many transport projects, worth a combined EUR 4.5 billion.

Regional development projects, among them projects from health, education, culture etc, are worth more than EUR 2 billion.

"The government believes that starting an investment cycle in Slovenia does not only mean preserving jobs but also creating new ones. Not only in construction but also in many other industries which are related to construction ...."

Vizjak said this was the first list to start with, but it would be further refreshed with potential new investments before the summer holidays.

The list does not feature only publicly funded projects but also those funded from private sources.

"We also count a lot on the [EU post-Covid] recovery fund, which is still being consolidated and formed and which could be a source for many a project."

Also on the list are projects for which the finances have been fully secured, but are deadlocked due to failure to obtain permits.

The list moreover includes a number of projects which are needed systemically, from new homes for the elderly and housing to water supply, flood safety.

The minister believes the list is an important message to businesses showing that the government would like to encourage an investment cycle and "that everyone who would like to invest in environmentally feasible projects and who wants to see the country's further development in all areas, is welcome".

As for NEK 2, the second reactor at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, Vizjak recalled it had been placed among important projects already back in 2006.

It has now made it to the list of key investments "because finally, siting procedures should be launched".

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) has described the list as "a contribution to the revival of the economy and the preservation of many jobs".

The list, which was initially expected to include 50-odd projects, now features virtually all major public infrastructure projects currently under consideration.

Some of the biggest projects are ongoing construction of a new track between Divača and Koper, several smaller rail projects across the entire rail network, the north-south expressway in eastern Slovenia, dubbed the third development axis, and the passenger terminal in Ljubljana.

Energy projects on the list include the Mokrice hydro plant on the Sava, the second unit at Krško plus the radwaste repository, and a transmission line upgrade between Cirkovce and Pince in eastern Slovenia.

Several flood protection projects are on the list as well, along with multiple housing projects, construction of new care homes, hospitals and university buildings.

In the culture segment, the new wing of the National and University Library, dubbed NUK2, made the cut along with a renovation of the SNG Drama theatre in Ljubljana and the National Archives building.

STA, 27 February 2020 - The outgoing government endorsed on Thursday the National Energy and Climate Plan, a set of energy policy and climate change mitigation measures until 2030. The document, which will now be sent to Brussels, is "realistically ambitious", said Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek.

The plan, which was revised after its draft was met with criticism from both industry and environmental NGOs, will serve as the basis for Slovenia's long-term climate strategy.

The government called it "a key step towards a climate-neutral Slovenia until 2050" on Twitter today.

Bratušek told the press after today's cabinet session that the goal was to cut overall greenhouse gas emissions by 36%, improve energy efficiency by at least 35% and have at least 27% of energy come from renewable energy sources.

The outgoing minister announced that investment into research and development would reach 3% of GDP, of which 1% would be public funds.

These are the minimal goals that Slovenia has to meet until 2030 if it is to avoid sanctions, Bratušek said, adding that the document adopted today also clearly showed how these goals would be achieved.

If Slovenia fails to raise its share of renewable energy to 25%, it will have to pay a fine of some EUR 10 million as early as next year.

The plan preserves the country's nuclear power facilities in the current size although with less use of fossil fuels and more renewable energy sources, in particular solar and wind, and adds waste co-incineration.

Following criticism by the state-owned power utility HSE and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) that the draft plan did not involve new hydro plants on the central Sava river, the final version includes plans for further use of hydro energy.

Analyses of alternatives to hydro and the role of hydro energy use in meeting Slovenia's goal of becoming climate neural by 2050 are also planned.

As for a new reactor at the Krško Nuclear Power Station (NEK), the document says that a decision on a potential construction should be made by 2027 at the latest.

A decision will also have to be made on the extension of the lifespan for the existing reactor, which expires in 2023. "This is why we must make sure that it will be able to function by 2043 as planned," Bratušek said.

Coal use has not been tackled yet and is to be resolved in Slovenia's Energy Concept until 2060.

Slovenia was obligated to adopt the Energy and Climate Plan and forward it to the European Commission under the EU regulation on the governance of the energy union and climate action if it wants to draw cohesion funds in 2021-2027.

The GZS welcomed the new version of the plan yesterday, but still voiced some concerns, especially regarding GDP growth estimates. The GZS believes economic growth is underestimated in the document and subsequently also the total energy consumption.

A 30% share of renewable energy sources is still beyond reach for industry as there are no assurances that green sources of energy will be available, said the GZS, which also called for a compensation scheme for indirect emissions, which all EU countries bar Slovenia and Romania have.

STA, 29 February 2020 - Like several ruling coalitions before it, the incoming centre-right coalition is promising to deal with red tape and create conditions conducive to business, and step up infrastructure and energy projects.

The coalition agreement lists measures such as reducing red tape for acquiring development permits, simplifying public procurement procedures and those for hiring foreign labour force, and "rationalising" demands on company reporting.

The coalition would like to enforce responsible management of state assets by imposing clear goals on managements and supervisory boards at state-owned companies and holding under-achievers to account.

It pledges to decentralise the country and to promote balanced regional development, as well as reform housing policy to increase the fund of rental housing for youth and young families.

The coalition agreement also places emphasis on investment in infrastructure and information infrastructure with plans to speed up modernisation of the rail infrastructure and expand the motorway network, while making public passenger transportation system friendlier and more affordable.

The plans include measures to reduce congestions, and CO₂ emissions, and replacing the motorway toll stickers for cars with electronic vignettes.

The coalition will examine the possibility of transferring 2TDK, the state-owned company managing the Koper-Divača rail project, to the national rail operator.

One of the goals is energy self-sufficiency with a view to Slovenia's long-term energy independence.

Consensus will be sought of Slovenia's long-term energy concept, to ensure responsible resource management and cleaner energy sources to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

This includes exploitation of nuclear and tackling exploitation of geothermal energy. The only concrete energy project set out is the construction of the Mokrice hydro power station on the Sava.

The coalition is more reserved about plans for tax changes. It does plan to further reduce tax on business performance bonuses, increase the threshold for entrepreneurs eligible for flat-tax rate and form a competitive excise policy for oil products.

The coalition agreement does not mention plans to return VAT to pre-crisis rates or reduce personal income tax, both of which the Democratic Party (SDS) as the senior coalition partner have advocated in the past.

This is part of a series on the new government’s plans, with the whole set here

STA, 18 February 2020 - The Democrats (SDS) called on Tuesday for an emergency session of the parliamentary Public Finance Oversight Commission to examine a cooperation memorandum signed last September by the state-controlled energy company Petrol with a Russian company subject to US sanctions.

The memorandum with T Plus was signed as part of a visit to Moscow by outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and envisages cooperation with the T Plus Group and Schneider Electric Russia in the field of energy efficiency.

Petrol's chairman at the time Tomaž Berločnik said the two projects planned involved work on the optimisation of district heating. He valued them at "a few million euro" and potentially at a few dozen million in the future.

However, citing documents published by the US Department of the Treasury, the SDS is pointing out that T Plus is part of the Russian Renova Group, which is subject to US sanctions along with its billionaire owner Viktor Felixovich Vekselberg.

The sanctions were introduced in April 2018 over interference in the 2016 US presidential election, with the US also freezing Vekselberg's assets.

The SDS is puzzled by how the government, Foreign Ministry and the SOVA intelligence agency could allow the memorandum to be signed, and what is even worse, to be signed during Šarec's official visit to Moscow.

The party claims all of the listed institutions as well as the PM and the management and supervisory bodies of Petrol and state asset manager SSH had obviously failed to fulfil their duties.

The SDS says that Petrol now runs the danger of becoming subject to retaliation measures on the part of the US, which could undermine government revenue and the value of state assets, while the SSH and government could also be compromised.

"The signing of the memorandum under to auspices of the Slovenian government could also bring negative consequences for other areas of transatlantic cooperation," the party wrote.

The SDS is thus proposing that the Public Finance Oversight Commission ask the government to have the SSH draw up a report on the matter, to have Petrol withdraw from the memorandum and to have authorities examine whether official duties were neglected, money laundered or terrorism financed as part of the memorandum signing.

STA, 2 February 2020 - Energy company Gen-I will build the first major solar power plant in North Macedonia. The plant will be built and managed by Gen-I's subsidiary Sonce DOOEL Skopje. Construction is expected to start in early 2021.

North Macedonia will build the 35 Megawatt plant in Amzabegovo and Gen-I will set up panels for 17 Megawatts after winning a public tender.

The Slovenian company has also won the right to use the land for the production of solar power for 50 years, while the state of North Macedonia will provide all the necessary permits, Gen-I said in a press release.

GEN-I Sonce DOOEL Skopje is expected to launch construction at the beginning of 2021 and the power plant should start operating in early 2023. It is to produce 25,000 Megawatt hours of electricity a year.

According to Gen-I management member and CEO of GEN-I Sonce DOOEL Skopje, Igor Koprivnikar, the project is expected to open new opportunities in renewable energy sources production, sustainable energy services and create synergies in financial markets as well as long-term partnerships with investors.

The power plant in Amzabegovo is expected to supply clean electricity to North Macedonia as well as other markets in the region.

Related: Energy Group GEN Reports €2.2bn Revenue for 2019

The National Institute of Chemistry reported last week that it has acquired a new European project, NAIMA (Na-ion materials as essential components to manufacture robust battery cells for non-automotive applications), in which it will participate as a partner in the development of new sodium-ion batteries.

The NAIMA project aims to demonstrate the cost efficiency and robustness of sodium-ion batteries and prove them to be one of the best alternatives to the current lithium-based systems of energy storage. The new energy storage solutions would address the current problems of lithium-ion batteries, mostly produced in Asia, and allow for the localization of the entire chain of production. The main problems with lithium-ion batteries are in the scarcity of materials and sometimes safety, when flammable electrolytes are used in high energy density appliances.

The new EU-funded NAIMA project was kickstarted in Amiens, France and awarded a Horizon2020 programme grant of almost €8 million by the European Commission. The duration of the programme will be 36 months, having started December 1, 2019.

The project will test six prototypes of Na-ion batteries in three different business scenarios. These scenarios will provide concrete evidence of the technology's competitiveness in three real-world settings – renewable production, industry and households.

New carbon materials will be developed at the Department of Materials Chemistry of the National Institute of Chemistry for use in prototype anodes of Na-ion batteries.

Related: Slovenian Researchers Developing Ocean-Cleaning Microplastic Filter Based on Jellyfish Mucus (Video)

STA, 13 January 2020 - Power utility group GEN generated over EUR 2.2 billion in revenue and EUR 48 million a net profit last year. The parent company in the group, GEN Energija, generated EUR 207 million in revenue and EUR 26 million in net profit.

 The group, which exceeded plans by 25%, had a good business year, and invested EUR 100 million, GEN Energija CEO Martin Novšak told the press in Krško on Monday.

GEN Energija has five subsidiaries, including Slovenia's only N-plant NEK, which is jointly owned with Croatia, and two chains of hydro power plants on the Sava.

NEK worked at full speed throughout the year and in a stable manner, exceeding the plans to produce 5,532 gigaWatt hours of electricity.

The state-owned group met all the expectations of state-assets custodian SSH, and finished as the second largest group in Slovenia in terms of revenue, according to Novšak.

This year GEN plans to generate around EUR 2.4 billion in revenue and EUR 54 million in net profit, and invest EUR 150 million, said GEN Energija director Danijel Levičar.

The group will continue planning the project of construction of a second nuclear reactor, on which the government has however not taken any final decision yet.

GEN deems the project "economically viable and justified from the aspect of the environment and climate".

NEK will continue with upgrades, including with a new high-pressure turbine which will enable it to raise output by 80 gigaWatt hours a year.

The nuclear power station moreover expects to obtain a building permit for a dry cask storage facility for spent nuclear fuel this year.

GEN's power station Termoelektrarna Brestanica plans to complete gas turbine unit seven in the second half of the year.

The group also plans to strengthen its GEN-I trading segment, foremost by purchasing power producer Elektro Primorska's electricity trader E3.

The group's vision is to become an international leader in reliable, safe, competitive and low-carbon energy supply, according to Levičar.

Through its marketing and sales companies, the group is present in more than 20 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The parent company has 60 employees, whereas the number of employees at group level is around 1,400.

Related - Invest in Slovenia: Meet the Companies in the Benchmark Investment Index, the SBI TOP

STA, 11 January 2020 - Deržič, a family-run business from the east of the country specialising in fire doors and solar trackers, has made it to almost all continents over the past 25 years. It is now launching a major investment drive.

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, the company owner Rudi Deržič announced an investment of EUR 1.5 million into an expansion of its production facilities.

Their chief products are fire doors, soundproof doors, flood doors and recently sliding glass radiation protection doors, all made to order, and all product of Deržič's own know-how and development.

Based in Veliki Obrež near Dobova, the company has also developed dual-axis solar trackers for solar panels, erecting the largest solar power plant in the country at its location.

The plant, comprising 90 such trackers, supplies 850,000 kilowatt hours of power into the grid on average annually.

According to Deržič, the trackers make it possible to increase the efficiency of solar plants by almost 50% and provide adaptability to all weather conditions, in particular strong wind.

Employing 25 people, the company posits an average of EUR 2 million in annual revenue, roughly 10% of which is reinvested. Steady growth is expected to continue.

Almost a third of the output is exported with a 20% growth projected in foreign markets this year.

The headcount is also expected to increase gradually, with plans to hire in particular engineers.

As a side activity, the company also runs an energy self-sufficient farm on a remedied local landfill, breeding a small herd of cattle.

The company also manufactures metal door frames and other types of doors. It will supply doors for Hotel Brdo at the Brdo estate as part of renovation.

You can learn about the company here

STA, 31 December 2019 - Geothermal energy was long seen as a promising source of renewable energy, in particular in eastern Slovenia where geothermal potential is highest, but since the introduction of licence fees for geothermal exploitation in 2016, uptake has been stagnating. High licence fees are not the only issue, businesses also complain about onerous rules.

Geothermal energy - essentially water that is heated deep within the Earth's crust and then pumped to the surface - is not officially designated as a renewable source, even if the EU treats it as such. And licence fees for exploitation are also paid by users who only take the heat and then return the cooler water into nature, businesses say.

Several businesses in eastern Slovenia have urged the government to change the rules to designate geothermal energy a renewable resource, or to subsidise the construction of re-injection wells through which water is pumped back below ground after its heat energy has been harvested.

The Environment Ministry says that all EU countries must comply with provisions of the Water Directive which stipulates that businesses must pay for water use, adding: "There is no method at EU level as yet that would regulate compliance with this commitment in a uniform way."

However, the Infrastructure Ministry already treats geothermal energy as a renewable resource and said all measures must be coordinated at government level; exploitation of geothermal will even be promoted in the forthcoming National Energy and Climate Plan.

As for the abolition of fees for water that can be re-injected, the Environment Ministry says that water is subject to licence fees just like any other natural resource. The Infrastructure Ministry, on the other hand, already recognises certain exemptions for re-injection of thermal water, and the Economy Ministry says that the base for calculating the licence fee had been reduced for 2020 to benefit business.

But the variable nature of this base for calculations, called quotient D, is proving a major obstacle for businesses wanting to exploit geothermal energy.

One of the biggest such firms, Ocean Orchids, says this is problematic since quotient D can change at any time. "We simply cannot calculate the return on investment in a re-injection well over a ten-year period, which is why no bank wants to finance this," Ocean Orchids director Roman Ferenčak says.

As a result, the company, which had originally built its business around heating its greenhouses with cheap geothermal energy, no longer sees a business case for geothermal.

"We're at a point where the state will accept us emitting thousands of tonnes of additional CO2 into the atmosphere, even though the Infrastructure Ministry has a bill in the works that says all businesses must reduce fossil fuel use every year. Adding to that, the state subsidises the burning of gas in co-generation," he says.

Paradajz, a company which grows greenhouse tomatoes not far from Ocean Orchids, has a similar problem and says their production costs have almost doubled because of government policy.

The company build a geothermal well in 2011 for a million euro and invested another million in additional equipment since the introduction of water fees in 2016, but they cannot build a re-injection well because it is impossible to calculate how much it will end up affecting their bottom line.

"All these measures - licence fees, electricity costs and monitoring exercises prescribed by the state - have upended the cost-benefit ratio of geothermal. We can no longer speak about an economically favourable source of heating," Paradajz spokesman Kristijan Magdič says.

Analyses conducted by several agencies, including the Geological Survey, in the framework of the cross-border project Darlinge suggest Slovenia's geothermal potential is significant but poorly exploited. At present only 123 GWh of geothermal energy is harvested, with potential available energy twenty times as high.