Investing into the safe operation of the Krsko nuclear power plant costs around 30 million euros annually, the director of the jointly owned Slovenian-Croatian nuclear plant, Stane Rozman, told the Slovenian Vecer daily of Saturday.
"The latest events in Japan prove that the investments are justified. At least two of our latest investments reduce the risks of potential large-scale natural disasters," said Rozman.
The investments refer to a plan to put into operation an additional, third diesel generator for pumps used to cool the nuclear reactor. The generator will additionally reduce the risk of the reactor overheating in case of an electrical shutdown, which is what happened in Japan, said Rozman.
In such a situation, each of the diesel generators would produce enough energy for the cooling pumps. The additional generator will be put into operation in 2012, and the level of the embankment on the Sava river near Krsko will be raised to reduce the risk of flooding, said Rozman.
Commenting on the impact of the Japanese nuclear disaster on global energy strategies, Rozman said that it would result in a tightening of security standards and introduction of a single risk estimate methodology.
Even though the events in Japan might cause a slow down in the construction of new nuclear reactors, one can't do without nuclear energy, said Rozman.
