The Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK), located near the Croatian border and jointly owned by Slovenia and Croatia, announced its reactivation on 18 November.
The plant, initially shut down on 6 October as a precaution after a leak was detected, is now operating at 28% capacity, with plans to progressively increase output. NEK confirmed that the leakage, found at a weld in the safety injection pipeline near the reactor, was minor and posed no nuclear safety threat.
This leak, the size of a needle prick, prompted NEK to replace the entire pipeline segment from the reactor vessel connection to the first valve. Additionally, the surrounding system pipeline was fully replaced as a long-term safety measure.
Westinghouse, the American firm that provided the original technology in the late 70s and early 80s, conducted the repair works. Last week, 121 fuel elements were transferred back to the reactor vessel from the spent fuel pool.
NEK assured that no radionuclides were released during the event and repairs, and the Nuclear Safety Administration confirmed that no worker received radiation doses above legal limits. The reconnection follows rigorous independent checks by organizations authorized by the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration.
