Serbia received the first technical study on implementation nuclear energy for peacetime purposes, and the Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović states that two options are being considered: traditional nuclear power plants and small modular reactors, which are increasingly in focus in the world.
Previously, in May of this year, the general director of Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS), Dušan Živković, stated that the energy collapse that Europe experienced this spring showed the necessity of large storage facilities that should support the growing amount of electricity from renewable sources.
Đedović Handanović now points out that traditional nuclear power plants provide economic advantages, while small modular reactors offer greater flexibility, the possibility of modular expansion and lower initial investment costs.
Đedović Handanović pointed out that the study showed that there is a possibility of integrating nuclear energy into the existing transmission system of Serbia, but not in the near future, but in 15 to 20 years.
Nuclear physicist Vladimir Udovicic told "Vreme" in September 2024 that there is no fear that things could go wrong if Serbia were to start implementing a nuclear program project, but there are also those who are not so convinced that nuclear power plants are the best solution for Serbia.
Construction in phases
Preparation for the construction of nuclear facilities requires the completion of certain stages according to the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which last from five to seven years. During that period, it is necessary to conduct additional studies and analyses, as well as to form a body that will manage the development of the nuclear program.
"Those phases last, specifically, the first and second, somewhere between five and seven years. Further additional studies and analyzes should be completed around them, but also a body should be formed that will deal with the development of the nuclear program. We are currently in the process of forming such a body within the Ministry of Mining and Energy, of course with representatives of scientific institutes but also other institutions that can contribute to such an undertaking," said Đedović Handanović.
She specified that this, first of all, refers to the training of professional staff, with an estimate that the entire process will cost around 30 million euros.
Đedović Handanović pointed out that the training of professional personnel is a key part of the strategy.
"At the end of this period, a decision will be made on the choice of technology and partners with whom Serbia will cooperate," she stated.
Intensive cooperation with Russia
Back in April 2019, at the international conference on nuclear technology AtomExpo in Sochi, Serbia signed two memoranda with Rosatom.
One document was supposed to help prepare the public and form a positive public opinion in relation to the use of nuclear energy for peacetime purposes, and the other concerns the training of personnel for its use.
Cooperation with potential partners
Serbia's partners in the development of nuclear energy have not yet been definitively chosen. The French company EDF is working on the first technical study, and Serbia has a cooperation agreement with the French government for the early stages of program preparation.
"France has an extremely large experience, because about 70 percent of its energy is produced in nuclear power plants and it manages a large number of such facilities. This is valuable knowledge that I can transfer to a developing country, such as Serbia. However, when we talk about the construction of nuclear power plants, France has not built them for a long time. South Korea and Russia also have a lot of experience with nuclear energy. We intend to sign a cooperation agreement with South Korea regarding both types of technology in the next two months, so I think we will give ourselves the opportunity to consider cooperation with partners from different countries", said Đedović Handanović.
Regarding cooperation with France, it should not be forgotten that the French company Ezis, which infamously supervised the railway station in Novi Sad, was hired to investigate how Serbia could build a nuclear power plant.
