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2026-08-05 16:13 UTC → 2026-08-05 17:05 UTC ·
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A prolonged heat wave in early August raised the Sava River temperature, prompting the The Krško Nuclear Power Plant to warn on 2 August that continued high water temperatures and reduced flow could force a partial nuclear power reduction or shutdown. By 5 August the plant implemented (NEK) began a planned, controlled reduction, lowering reactor output reduction to about 80 % (roughly 530 MW) of its full capacity. The cut was described as temporary and compliant with environmental consent, while operators sought government approval for a possible short‑term exceedance of the temperature limits. The same operational pattern re‑appeared capacity (≈530 MW) on the night of 6 August 2026, when the plant began another planned reduction to 80 % (about 530 MW) 2026 because of exceptional hydro‑meteorological conditions on exceptionally low water levels and high temperatures in the Sava River. After a November 2025 refurbishment the plant had run at full capacity for 280 consecutive days, a level not seen since a 2003 reduction that lasted over 90 days. The 2026 cut also referenced the River, which risk breaching its environmental permit limit limits of a 28 °C average daily river temperature and a maximum 3 °C rise. NEK The plant, jointly owned by Slovenia’s GEN energija and Croatia’s Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP), supplies roughly 20 % of Slovenia’s electricity and 16 % of Croatia’s demand, with demand. After completing a full‑power rating of 659 MW; the 530 MW output corresponds to refurbishment in November 2025, the 80 % limit. Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP) reactor operated continuously for 280 days—the longest stretch since a similar reduction in 2003 that lasted over 90 days. Operators indicated it that further reductions could follow if river conditions deteriorated, and full power would resume once temperature and flow return to permissible levels. HEP affirmed it can cover any shortfall for Croatia through its own generation and market purchases. These episodes illustrate how recurring extreme heat events directly impact nuclear generation in the region, requiring rapid operational adjustments to meet environmental regulations and maintain electricity supply.