In light of the increasing challenges brought about by climate change, the transition to renewable energy sources is becoming imperative for a sustainable future. Traditional sources of energy, such as fossil fuels, not only pollute the environment but also contribute to global warming. Renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydropower represent a solution that not only reduces emissions of harmful gases, but also ensures long-term energy security.
The new Strategy for the development of Serbia's energy sector until 2040, i.e. with projections for half a century - still in the form of a draft - should create the conditions for every second produced megawatt-hour to have a green label by the end of the decade. In other words, to be produced from renewable energy sources. With an emphasis on abandoning coal, the plan is for the last new thermal capacity to enter the energy network to be Block 3 in Kostolac.
The abandonment of dirty, non-renewable energy sources has so far been directed towards the transition to hydroelectric power plants, wind farms, as well as solar power plants. However, the draft of the new Strategy mentions nuclear energy for the first time.
A NEW OLD STORY
A significant increase in electricity consumption in Serbia is expected at the end of 2050. Projections are that the renewable energy sources that are already exploited will not be sufficient to provide energy for the entire population. That is why the story about the construction of nuclear power plants started in the media and in the statements of officials.
Two types of nuclear power plants were mentioned - classic ones, which have been built for decades, as well as small modular ones.
This second type of nuclear power plant represents compact nuclear reactors that are designed to produce electricity in smaller capacities, compared to traditional nuclear power plants. Usually pre-engineered, they can be manufactured in the factory, which makes their installation easier and reduces construction costs.
Although smaller in terms of production capacity, modular nuclear reactors are cheaper, faster to build and require less space than conventional reactors. They also leave behind less nuclear waste, and use a relatively safer fuel for propulsion - low-enriched uranium instead of highly enriched.
However, modular nuclear reactors are still a developing technology. There are only two such power plants in the world, one in Russia and the other in China. It is estimated that in the middle of the next decade there will be about thirty of them. Firms involved in the development of this technology feel the pulse of countries that express interest, in order to develop a network of potential users in the future.
Modular nuclear power plants work as follows. As a source of energy, they use nuclear fission, which in the process of splitting atomic nuclei releases a huge amount of heat. The heat is further used to heat the water in the primary circuit of the reactor - the method of heating depends on the design of the reactor. The water heated in the primary circuit circulates through heat exchangers, where the heat is transferred to the secondary circuit of the reactor. In the secondary circuit, the water is converted into steam which is then used to drive the turbines. High-pressure steam drives turbines connected to generators. As the turbine rotates, it produces electricity through a generator, in the same way as in classic thermal power plants.
After the steam passes through the turbines, it cools and condenses back into water. The water is then returned to the system to be reheated and evaporated, creating a continuous cycle.
Their production power ranges up to 300 megawatts.
Another solution is classic nuclear reactors, several times higher production capacity. Although more expensive and complicated to build, the dominant logic is that it is better to have fewer classic ones than a large number of modular ones.
Therefore, modular power plants are mainly intended for remote areas, where there is no developed energy network, but they are brought in and installed. The question arises whether there are such areas in Serbia at all.
What are the advantages of these electricity producers compared to other renewable energy sources?
Unlike hydropower plants, as well as solar and wind farms, nuclear power plants can operate continuously during the day, regardless of weather conditions. And while solar and wind power plants depend on the sun, that is, the strength of the wind, and hydro depends on the water level and geographical features, nuclear power plants ensure continuity at all times. Furthermore, these power plants can produce a huge amount of energy in a smaller space. On the other hand, wind and solar parks require a large area of land, while hydropower plants often require a larger water reservoir.
Third, nuclear power plants enable grid stability and cover the needs for constant, basic energy consumption. Also, since they work continuously, they do not require complicated systems and batteries to store electricity, as is the case with wind farms and solar power plants, for example. Then, compared to hydroelectric power plants, reactors have relatively little physical impact on the environment because they do not require the diversion of rivers or the creation of large dams. Even wind farms can disrupt the ecosystem on the surfaces where they are located.
Another advantage of nuclear power plants is their high energy density, which means that a small amount of nuclear fuel can produce a huge amount of energy.
Like other renewable energy sources, nuclear power plants do not emit carbon dioxide during operation, which could make them one of the key technologies for decarbonization.
REVOCATION OF THE PROHIBITION
Although the benefits of power plants are numerous, there are also reasons to worry at any mention of nuclear reactors. In the event of any major accident inside the reactor, there is a possibility that the radiation could cause a serious disaster. Therefore, nuclear power plants carry greater safety risks than other electricity producers based on renewable sources.
A moratorium was placed on the construction of nuclear power plants in Serbia in 1989, three years after the biggest nuclear accident to date - the explosion and radiation spread in Chernobyl. Although the nuclear power plant Krško (now Slovenia) was put into operation in Yugoslavia in 1983, this incident marked a certain halt in the further development of nuclear power plants. Krško thus remained an isolated case on the territory of the former Yugoslavia.
In the region, in addition to Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania also use nuclear energy for electricity production.
At the end of March this year, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced the lifting of the moratorium on the construction of nuclear power plants. Although it was mentioned at the time that the best solution for Serbia would be a classic nuclear power plant with large production capacities, it was emphasized that this requires not only large financial investments, but also human resources and knowledge that are not currently available. Therefore, the purchase of modular nuclear reactors was cited as an alternative. This proposal appeared even earlier, more precisely in the middle of 2022, when Rade Basta, later the Minister of Economy, was at the head of PUK Termoelektrana. Basta proposed a partnership with two American firms that would install these reactors.
Also, as an alternative to the construction of nuclear power plants, Vučić mentioned the option of purchasing 5-7 percent of electricity from the Hungarian nuclear power plant Pakš 2.
Nevertheless, even though the potential use of nuclear energy in Serbia is currently a hot environmental topic, the announcements by state officials about the construction do not refer to the recent period. The Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, stated a few months ago that this is a long-term project, and that we can possibly talk about 2039 or 2040.
However, the new Law on Energy, which is expected to be adopted soon, will abolish the ban on the construction of nuclear power plants in Serbia. In the meantime, modular power plants have mostly been abandoned, after it became clear that they will hardly be able to meet Serbia's energy needs in the future.
Classic nuclear reactors are on the table again.
