Sustainable transition of Slovenian power system until 2050

Global, European and Slovenian energy sectors have been facing multiple challenges in transitioning to a carbon-free future. The transition into a sustainable power system will play a key role in maintaining global warming within the +1.5°C IPCC scenario in the next few years. In this context, the present paper proposes a combination of renewable energy and nuclear sources to fill the gap between future power consumption and production. The results show that using an optimal combination of conventional and new power production technologies, Slovenia can reach the goal of a carbon-free power system by 2037, when a new nuclear unit could enter operation. Flexible power sources and sinks combined with daily and seasonal electricity storage will be able to provide a balance to intermittent renewable power generation. To evaluate the feasibility of the proposed scenario of the power system, two key criteria are used: ❨1❩ decarbonization of the system and (2) rate of the power system’s self-sufficiency.