Djedovic Handanovic: By 2032, Serbia could be ready to build nuclear power plant

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic met on Tuesday with the heads of subgroups in an inter-departmental expert working group set up to examine the justifiability of Serbia's approach to nuclear power development to discuss preparation of studies in the first stage of a nuclear programme, and noted that, by 2032, the country could be ready for the process of building a nuclear power plant.

"The inter-departmental working group is comprised of more than 20 experts from various institutions, divided into subgroups covering 19 infrastructure issues as required by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Last year, we completed a preliminary technical study on peaceful use of nuclear power and we are now in the first stage of a nuclear programme," an official statement quoted Djedovic Handanovic as saying.

She said the majority of project tasks in this stage had been defined as part of the subgroups.

The minister added that the French development agency AFD had expressed interest in financing studies that would cover a part of the topics in the first stage of the programme - staff development, location selection, involvement of the local industry and public information - which would all be addressed in collaboration with the French power company EDF.

She said the goal was to complete by mid-2027 all studies needed for making an informed government decision on implementing a nuclear programme.

"That way, by 2032, Serbia could be ready to select a technology and enter the process of negotiating construction to make it possible for a nuclear power plant to be put into the grid after 2040," Djedovic Handanovic said.