Electricity generation from Slovenia’s major rivers dropped sharply at the start of 2026, forcing other power sources to step in and compensate for the shortfall. Hydropower plants along the Drava, Sava and Soča rivers delivered a combined 718 GWh to the transmission network in the first quarter, marking a decline of 23.1% compared to the same period last year. Output also fell 10.5% below long-term expectations, reflecting weaker-than-expected hydrological conditions across the system.
The downturn was recorded across all three river basins, with the most significant deviations seen on the Drava and in the upper Sava region. Data shows that river flows remained low to below average throughout the winter months, while limited snow reserves in the Alps further reduced expectations for spring inflows, leading to persistently constrained hydropower availability.
With hydropower underperforming, other generation sources increased output to meet demand. The Krško Nuclear Power Plant produced 1,516 GWh, while the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant contributed 666.3 GWh. A particularly strong increase came from TE-TO Ljubljana, which generated 311.9 GWh, nearly 120% more than a year earlier following the commissioning of a new gas-fired unit, highlighting rapidly rising thermal flexibility in the system.
Additional support came from the Brestanica thermal power plant, where production rose by about 53% year-on-year to 14.8 GWh. Despite these increases, the overall balancing effort reflects a broader shift toward conventional generation to stabilize supply conditions.
Total electricity supplied from domestic sources reached 3,226.7 GWh between January and March 2026, representing a 5.5% decrease compared to the previous year and falling 1.9% short of planned levels. The figures underline the system-wide impact of reduced hydropower output on national generation balance.
