Advancing nuclear research and education in Slovenia and EU : from operating the TRIGA reactor to building a new generation facility

Malec, Jan (author), Tiselj, Iztok (author), Cizelj, Leon (author), Pungerčič, Anže (author), Goričanec, Tanja (author), Snoj, Luka (author)

The TRIGA Mark II research reactor at the Jožef Stefan Institute in Slovenia achieved first criticality in 1966. Since then, the reactor has been playing an important role in developing nuclear technology. The reactor has been mainly used for research, education of university students, training of operators of the Krško nuclear power plant (start of operation in 1983) and other nuclear specialists, isotope production and beam applications. The reactor is experiencing a high level of activity today, engaging in a diverse range of experiments and studies across reactor physics, environmental research, radiation hardness testing as well training and education. The future of nuclear technology in Slovenia is focused on new NPPs, while the research community is looking forward to a possible new nuclear reactor. The basic initiatives are at a very preliminary stage: the primary choice is dual-core pool-type reactor, with a zero-power core and a separate MW-size core, cooled and moderated with light water. Such a dual-core configuration is designed to meet the varied requirements of the European Union member states. Another option would be hosting one or more micro-reactors with electrical and/or heating power producing capability that could offer stronger support toward demonstration of prototype small modular reactors in prototype future electrical grids.

• Language: English
• Keywords: research reactor, nuclear research, nuclear education, European Union nuclear strategy, TRIGA
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 3519–3531
• Numbering: Vol. 50, iss. 5
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-167749
• UDC: 539.1
• ISSN on article: Y508-1084
• DOI: 10.1007/s13369-024-09621-2
• COBISS.SI-ID: 211947779
• Publication date in RUL: 10.03.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Arabian journal for science and engineering
• Publisher: Springer Nature, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
• ISSN: 2191-4281
• COBISS.SI-ID: 19084566

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: jedrska fizika, jedrska tehnika

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0026
• Name: Reaktorska tehnika

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0073
• Name: Reaktorska fizika