Representatives of the Croatian government and two Chinese companies have met in Beijing to discuss cooperation on preparing Croatia’s nuclear energy program.
Croatia plans to build its first nuclear power plant, but is also interested in participating in the construction of the second unit at Slovenia’s Krško nuclear power plant. The country is also exploring the possibility of installing small modular reactors (SMRs).
Croatian Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar said following the talks in Beijing that nuclear energy development in Croatia would open up new opportunities for domestic industry, engineers, and experts.
The talks also covered opportunities for Croatian companies to join international supply chains
“Croatian industry must be ready to participate in such projects, from equipment manufacturing to technology development and plant maintenance,” he said.
In a social media post, Šušnjar said he had discussed nuclear energy cooperation with Liu Mingsheng, chairman of China’s State Power Investment Corporation Limited (SPIC), and Ma Yuanhuo, chairman of State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation Limited (SNPTC).
Photo: Ante Šušnjar/LinkedIn
The talks focused on experience in developing nuclear projects, requirements for Croatian companies to join international supply chains, and knowledge transfer and specialist training, according to Šušnjar.
Preparing Croatia’s nuclear energy program includes non-binding talks with potential technology suppliers
The preparations for Croatia’s nuclear energy program include non-binding discussions with partner countries and potential nuclear technology suppliers to gather “specific and comparable information on available technological solutions, their technical characteristics, and economic aspects, as a basis for future decisions,” Šušnjar explained.
Photo: Ante Šušnjar/LinkedIn
A memorandum with Canada was signed in June
In this way, the Croatian government is linking long-term energy security with the development of domestic industry and Croatian expertise capable of competing in international markets, he added.
In late June, Croatia and Canada signed a memorandum of understanding in Toronto to step up cooperation in the civilian use of nuclear energy.
The Ministry of Economy said at the time that the memorandum did not introduce an obligation to make individual investment decisions but a platform to exchange expertise and strengthen institutional cooperation.