(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 17 OCTOBER - The Krsko nuclear power plant is fully capable to resist even to strong earthquakes, technical experts from the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) told ANSA. "Krsko NPP is located on an area of expected seismic intensity of VIII according to EMS scale, but is designed and constructed such that it can safely operates during an earthquake of much higher intensity (i.e. IX EMS)," NEK said in an emailed statement. "Krsko NPP is qualified for Operating Bases Earthquake - OBE (0,15g), for which structures, systems, and components of the plant, necessary for continued operation, are designed to remain functional, and Safe Shutdown Earthquake - SSE (0,3g), at which the plant shall be safely shut-down without any negative effect on safety," NEK added. "During the EU stress tests, additional analyses and verifications have been done and independently reviewed and confirmed, where it was shown that NPP Krsko have been built with heavy safety margins and that the so-called cliff-edge effect (damage to pressure boundary) can be expected at the peak ground acceleration of 0,8 - 0,9 g which is in the order of almost three times the design value of safe shutdown earthquake.

The results of probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of the site, taking into account very strong earthquakes, showed that the estimated peak ground accelerations exceed the value that corresponds to the return period of ten thousand years (0.6 g PGA at the free surface)," NEK experts said.

"Several safety features of the plant will be upgraded until the year 2021. New systems will be design increased seismic levels with peak ground acceleration of 0.6 at the free surface.

This means, that adequate earthquake resistance of the power plant will be further increased. After the implementation of safety upgrade program in year 2021, the Krsko NPP should also be resistant to earthquakes of intensity X EMS," NEK concluded. "As far as the potential construction of new plant at the same site, the SNSA is not taking part because so far there are no any licensing activities related to that," the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) told ANSA. "The SNSA is informed about any relevant investigation results which may impact on the existing NPP Krško. We are maintaining an internet site in Slovenian language with the information related to this issue," (http://ursjv.arhiv-spletisc.gov.si/si/info/posamezne_zadeve/ind ex.html), SNSA concluded. (ANSA).