Seminar on the role of SMRs as catalysts for the just transition of the SAŠA region
What: Seminar on SMR technology
Where: The Faculty of Energy Technology, UM, Velenje
When: 13.3.2025
On Thursday, March 13th, representatives of LEST attended a professional seminar on the just transition of the SAŠA region, which took place at the Faculty of Energy in Velenje. The seminar began with opening speeches from various stakeholders connected to the SAŠA region or the technology of small modular reactors (SMR), all of whom welcomed the organization of the event and emphasized the importance and, on the other hand, the critical nature of the just transition of the SAŠA region.
Later, Anne Falchi, a representative of the French company EDF, addressed the attendees online and presented the advantages and potential of SMRs. Her presentation served as an introduction to the first roundtable, in which, among others, Prof. Dr. Leon Cizelj participated. He provided a wealth of interesting data on the current state of the technology and the main obstacles to its progress, highlighting that there are currently 100 different projects worldwide in the field of SMRs, with only two operational: one in Russia and the other in China.
After a short break, Dr. Meritxell Martell, Executive Director of the European Nuclear Municipalities Association, addressed the attendees online. Following her speech, the second roundtable took place, with participants including Prof. Dr. Sebastijan Seme, Dean of the Faculty of Energy at the University of Maribor, Vesna Nahtigal from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, and Franc Bogovič, a former Member of the European Parliament, who prepared the EU report on SMRs. The second roundtable also offered an engaging discussion, where participants shared their perspectives on the economy, the SAŠA region, and SMR technology.
The seminar was the first of many to follow in other locations across Slovenia, where there is a possibility of installing SMR technology.
