Croatia nuclear debate flares as Plomin site considered for small modular reactor project

Croatia’s energy policy debate has sharpened after Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the site of the thermal power plant Plomin is being considered for a small modular reactor (SMR) project. The prospect has immediately met resistance from regional leaders in Istria, highlighting how questions of siting and local consent are becoming central to the country’s longer-term power plans.

Istria challenges nuclear fit and local authority

Boris Miletić said he does not reject nuclear energy in principle, but argued that such facilities do not align with Istria’s development model, which is strongly oriented toward tourism and renewable energy. He also stressed that Istria is significant to Croatia’s national economy and that projects affecting its long-term identity should require local approval.

Local authorities further questioned whether central government can designate a nuclear site without full alignment with existing spatial planning at both county and municipal levels. They warned that insufficient transparency in decision-making could erode public trust and complicate the delivery of major strategic investments in the future.

National officials frame Plomin as preliminary

At the national level, officials described the Plomin option as part of early considerations rather than a final decision. Even so, the exchange reflects a broader shift in Croatia’s energy direction, as the government has already outlined ambitions to significantly expand nuclear power’s role in the country’s energy mix.

Policy target and next steps for SMR deployment

According to the government’s stated aims, nuclear power would reach roughly 30% of Croatia’s energy mix by 2040. Current plans discussed in this context include potentially deploying up to three SMRs, with the first units potentially coming online within the next decade.

A proposed legal framework is expected to support this transition, though it does not yet specify exact locations. Instead, it sets out additional planning stages intended to determine future siting decisions—an approach that, for Istria, underscores why transparency and alignment with local spatial plans will be decisive as negotiations move forward.