Declaration signed between Slovenia and France.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob signed a Declaration of Intent to establish long-term cooperation in the field of nuclear energy during Macron's visit to Ljubljana. The media emphasize that this signing underscores the strategic partnership between the two countries, especially in the context of the Slovenian Krško 2 project (JEK2), for which the French EDF is one of the two remaining supplier candidates

Prime Minister Golob, at a joint press conference, stressed that France is an “European nuclear powerhouse” whose carbon-free future is built on the development of this energy. He emphasized that the declaration opens new opportunities for collaboration among experts, which is already present between the two countries.

Speaking about the JEK2 project, Golob confirmed that Slovenia is choosing between two high-quality and qualified suppliers – the American Westinghouse (and we add that Westinghouse's technology was used in the construction of the current operating reactor at Krško) and the French EDF.

“I believe that precisely by having two equally capable suppliers at our disposal, we will be able to choose a solution that will be best for Slovenia in the long term and that will give that project a truly regional character,” Golob said.

Golob revealed the key ambition related to the new reactor: “We often hear that the construction of a new nuclear power plant may indeed be too big a challenge for Slovenia. And that is true. We do not plan it exclusively and only for Slovenia, but as a facility with which the Southeast Europe region would meet a large part of its electricity needs. And that is precisely one of the advantages that French suppliers can offer.”

President Macron replied that France wants “genuine strategic partnership, not just commercial” and that it will enable Slovenia to produce everything – “from turbines to solutions for the disposal of radioactive waste.” He also stressed the importance of better energy integration of Slovenia into the region and Europe.

The JEK2 project includes the construction of one or two new units, with a total capacity of up to 2,400 megawatts, in addition to the existing Krško Nuclear Power Plant, which generates about one third of Slovenian electricity and a quarter of Croatia's electricity.

The project's developer, GEN Energija, confirmed in September that the technical feasibility studies showed that the three offered reactor designs – Westinghouse AP1000 and EDF's EPR and EPR2 (1200 MW) – are technically feasible for the site. The third bidder, the South Korean KHNP, pulled out of the process in January due to a change in business priorities.

Although the referendum on the construction of a new nuclear block was canceled in November 2024 due to procedural disagreements, the government in July began preparing the spatial plan. Prime Minister Golob reiterated that he remains committed to holding a referendum before the final investment decision, which is currently planned for 2028. The estimated price for a 1,000-megawatt reactor is around €9.314 billion, while a 1,650-megawatt reactor would cost about €15.371 billion.

And just a few days earlier, Slovenia offered Croatia a quarter of the ownership stake in the new Krško Nuclear Power Plant (JEK2), but, as the media reported at the time, under extremely unfavorable conditions.