Serbia could get its first nuclear power plant after 2040: Agreement signed with EDF and AFD on development of professional, human and organizational capacities and preparation of studies

Serbia could get its first nuclear power plant after 2040, and in the years ahead, our country must be ready in an institutional, regulatory and professional sense for the choice of technology, emphasized Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, who signed a partnership agreement between Serbia, the French Electricity Company (EDF) and the French Development Agency (AFD), which provides support to our country in the development of professional, human and organizational capacities and the preparation of appropriate studies for the development of a nuclear program.

Djedovic Handanovic said that EDF, which had completed the preparation of a Preliminary Technical Study in this area the previous year, was the leading operator of nuclear power plants globally, with more than 50 nuclear reactors in France alone.

She pointed out that it was very important that in this phase, in which Serbia was laying the foundations for nuclear energy, the country was able to use their knowledge, experience and resources that would be of great benefit to the experts of the Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization (NEPIO).

According to her, the most important part of this project relates to the development of a human resources development strategy, as one of the key prerequisites for launching a national nuclear program.

– Personnel represent the most valuable element of the development of a nuclear program in every country and one of our most important tasks will be to create a base of engineers and other personnel who will be able to responsibly and professionally manage nuclear facilities in Serbia in the future – she emphasized.

The minister stated that cooperation with EDF to develop three more studies within the first phase of the nuclear program was planned, while the remaining 14 would be the subject of further consideration with various international companies that had the necessary experience.

Djedovic Handanovic stated that the goal was to complete all studies by the middle of the next year that would enable an informed decision to be made on the further development of the nuclear program.

The French Development Agency has provided a grant of EUR 500,000, which is the first participation of AFD in the field of nuclear program development. These funds, through a project implemented within the FEXTE fund, will provide support in building professional and organizational capacities in Serbia necessary for the preparation, development and management of Phase I and part of Phase II of the nuclear program. The program is aimed at improving the knowledge and experience of personnel involved in the nuclear program. The main activities include strengthening the competencies of institutions and professional teams, developing human resources, developing project and management knowledge, improving safety culture, as well as acquiring technical knowledge necessary for making informed decisions, in accordance with the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Ministry of Mining and Energy

French Electricity Company

EDF

French Development Agency

AFD

Dubravka Đedović Handanović

construction of nuclear power plant in Serbia