The cost of dismantling the Krsko nuclear plant, jointly owned by Slovenia and Croatia, could be about 1 billion Euros, plant spokesman Branko Janc said.
The plant, sited in Slovenia, was co-funded by Croatia but since the break up of Yugoslavia in 1991, the two neighbours have been locked in dispute over sharing its output and the disposal of radioactive waste. The two countries recently signed an agreement to end the dispute over ownership, but the agreement has yet to be ratified by their respective parliaments and differences are now emerging over decommissioning.
In January the management board of the decommissioning fund for Krsko outlined the fund's role before and after the ratification of the agreement. The fund's management board believed that the Slovene-Croatian contract is not acceptable for Slovenia because of the articles on decommissioning and waste. Slovenia should insist on internationally approved measures according to which funds are raised where the decommissioning is to take place in Slovenia and not also in Croatia. The new contract proposes that Slovene funds are raised within the state budget. The management board is afraid of losing funding that would depend on the government.
Branko Janc, head of the fund's management board, suggested that Slovene and Croatian buyers who are using the power should pay for decommissioning. The responsibility for waste should be clearly divided between Slovenia and Croatia.
Assuming a 40-year life expectancy, Krsko should remain in operation until 2023.
