Dol pri Ljubljani adopts spatial plan for Brinje reactor centre

The Občinski svet Občine Dol pri Ljubljani adopted on 23 September 2026 the Odlok o občinskem podrobnem prostorskem načrtu za prostorsko ureditev skupnega pomena za območje BR-01 Reaktorski center Brinje, the municipal detailed spatial plan governing land use around the Brinje nuclear research complex. The decree was published in Uradni list Republike Slovenije št. 1561/2026 of 2 October 2026 and takes effect on the fifteenth day after publication.

The plan is a joint state-local instrument, adopted under Article 129 of the Zakon o urejanju prostora (ZUreP-3) and the Agreement on the planning of a spatial arrangement of joint state and local importance in the area of the Brinje reactor centre, with the prior consent of the Ministrstvo za okolje, podnebje in energijo and the Ministrstvo za visoko šolstvo, znanost in inovacije. It was drawn up by SOKPRO d.o.o., Gorišnica 56, under number 12OPPN/2023, and registered in the collection of spatial acts under ID 4222.

The planning area covers roughly 8.5 hectares on parcels 621/6 to 621/35 of cadastral municipality 1760 Beričevo, in the north-western part of the Brinje settlement, within spatial planning unit Br01 and land designated CD – other areas of central activities. The site is spatially closed and functionally separated from surrounding housing.

Four new buildings at the reactor complex

The decree allows construction or extension of four facilities alongside the existing Reaktorski center complex:

• Object A, a data centre: footprint about 52.0 x 24.0 m, maximum K+P+2 storeys, flat or shallow single-pitch roof.
• Object B, an extension of the Šolski center ICJT: must match the existing building in plan, height and design and be functionally connected to it.
• Object C, an administrative-research building: two units C1 and C2, each about 15.0 x 90.0 m, maximum K+P+2 storeys.
• Object D, a support building for CSRAO: about 12.0 x 12.0 m, single storey.

Existing structures on site include the TRIGA Mark II reactor, the hot cell, the chemistry building, the accelerator, the water tower and the weather station, which must be relocated before works begin.

Urbanistic limits and infrastructure

• Maximum site coverage ratio (FZ) is 0.6; green areas (DZP) must be at least 10%.
• Minimum setback from neighbouring plots is 4.0 m for buildings and 1.5 m for simple structures; fences at least 0.5 m.
• Internal roads must be at least 5.5 m wide; parking is set at 1 space per 40 m² for other business buildings and 1 per 50 m² for education and research buildings, with 5% reserved for disabled users.
• A new transformer station, TP Data Center, with transformers of 4,000 kVA total, is planned inside the data centre, plus an additional 1,000 kVA station for the remaining buildings.
• Buildings must connect to the medium-pressure natural gas network at 0.5–1 bar, except where renewable sources cover demand.

Heritage, environment and nuclear safety

The whole area is a registered unit of built cultural heritage, Brinje – Nuklearni inštitut Jožef Štefan, EID 1-19537, so cultural protection conditions and consent are required and the Zavod za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije must be notified at least 14 days before works. Project conditions and an opinion must be obtained from the Uprava Republike Slovenije za jedrsko varnost, and the site lies in noise protection class III.

Radioactive waste is stored in the Centralno skladišče radioaktivnih odpadkov (CSRAO), managed by ARAO, which holds all collected institutional radioactive waste in Slovenia; the Institut “Jožef Stefan” collects operational waste in the hot cell building. Design must account for a seismic acceleration of 0.250 g, raised to 0.275 g given the site’s position on the boundary of a higher seismic hazard zone. The existing tennis and basketball courts are abolished.

Staged implementation and entry into force

The plan may be implemented in several mutually independent stages, each a completed functional whole, with timing dependent on demonstrated investor interest. The decree, numbered 032-0008/2026-39 and signed by mayor Željko Savič, was issued in Dol pri Ljubljani on 23 September 2026 and enters into force on the fifteenth day after publication, around 17 October 2026.

The decision gives the Brinje reactor centre a binding planning framework for its next construction phase, covering a data centre, research and teaching space and expanded radioactive waste handling capacity, while fixing the heritage, seismic, water and nuclear safety conditions that any future building permit must satisfy.

Source: Uradni list Republike Slovenije, št. 1561/2026, 2 October 2026, notices, p. 1–19 (official reference: 2026-01-2221).