The maintenance works that started on 11 April cost EUR 30m. It involved the replacement of fuel and 25 technological upgrades that was aimed at improving the power station's safety and reliability.

NEK said in a press release that everything went according to plans and that the results of extensive inspections showed that Slovenia's only N-plant is ready for safe and reliable operation in the 28th cycle.

As part of the refuelling and maintenance works, special attention was dedicated to fuel, after a suspected flaw was detected in February on at least one fuel rod.

About 1,000 Slovenian and foreign contractors took part in the maintenance, which came after over 500 days of uninterrupted operation at full capacity.

NEK. which provides around a quarter of all electricity produced in Slovenia, began commercial operation in 1983. It is jointly owned by Slovenia and Croatia.

While it was originally designed to be shut down by 2023, the consensus is that its useful life should be extended beyond that.