News

Last week, from 9th to 12th September 2024, we attended the international conference "Nuclear Energy for New Europe" in Portorož, Slovenia. Organized by the Nuclear Society of Slovenia, this conference is the main nuclear networking event in Central Europe. This year's event attracted more than 300 scientists and nuclear experts from over 25 countries worldwide.

The Laboratory for Heat and Power was represented by Mihael Boštjan Končar, who presented his work on the modelling of Small and Micro Modular Reactors in a paper titled “Challenges in Modelling of Passive Heat Removal Systems for Small and Micro Modular Reactors.”. The work was co-authored by Prof. Dr. Jörg Starflinger (IKE USTUT), Prof. Dr. Mihael Sekavčnik (FME UL), and Dr. Mitja Uršič (R4 JSI) and was conducted in collaboration with the Reactor Engineering Division at the Jožef Stefan Institute (R4 JSI, Slovenia) and the Institute for Nuclear Technology and Energy Systems at the University of Stuttgart (IKE USTUT, Germany).

In parallel with the conference, the launch event for the Small Modular Reactor Stakeholder Engagement Project for Slovenia (SMR STEPS) took place. This pilot communication project is led by Slovenian members of the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs. Projects like SMR STEPS play a vital role in promoting the adoption of Small Modular Reactors by providing a platform to showcase the technology, connect stakeholders, and encourage the industry to consider SMRs as a viable solution for decarbonizing their processes. As coordinators of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering’s activities within the EU SMR Alliance, we are dedicated to helping industry partners understand the challenges and opportunities related to SMR technology and connecting them with key stakeholders in the nuclear sector to support SMR implementation in Slovenia.

At the event, Mihael Boštjan Končar presented key competencies that the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, can offer to support the rapid deployment of SMR technology in Europe and Slovenia. Emphasis was placed on close cooperation with industry, excellence in engineering education, and a strong understanding of energy supply systems and the specific energy needs of industrial partners. Special attention was given to the potential of SMR technology in providing non-electric energy flows, such as heat, for the process industry.

We are particularly proud that Mr. Boštjan Smrekar, a representative of our industrial partner B&B Paper Solutions (Papirnica Vevče), joined us in delivering our presentation at the event. This collaboration highlights the strong position of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering within industry circles and underscores the importance of cooperation between academic research institutions and industry. It also demonstrates the growing recognition of nuclear energy’s potential in the process industry in Slovenia and the considerable interest in SMR technology.