Slovenia is eyeing the construction of a second reactor in Krsko, near the country's sole nuclear power plant.

The project can go ahead without any referendum being held, but work has not yet started, as the government still needs to draft the supporting legislation.

The referendum on whether Slovenia should go ahead with the plan was scheduled for November 24, but 69 lawmakers in Slovenia's 90-seat parliament backed a decree cancelling the vote.

The decree cited "doubts that voters would be able decide in a well-informed, independent and responsible manner on an important long-term question of national relevance".

The decree was put forward earlier this week after environmental organisations and the junior coalition partner, the leftist Levica party, warned the vote would be held without citizens having reliable information about the reactor's cost and technology and without considering alternative energy sources.

Despite parliamentary parties' wide support for the project, the latest poll published by daily Dnevnik last weekend showed that 59.4 percent of citizens backed the construction of a second reactor, down from 68.6 percent in January.

Liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob said a "decisive referendum" on the nuclear reactor would be held in 2027 or 2028 once all the details for the project -- valued at up to 15 billion euros ($16.2 billion) -- are known.

The Krsko nuclear power plant's 700-megawatt reactor -- equipped by US energy group Westinghouse -- was built in 1983 jointly with neighbouring Croatia when the two countries were still part of Yugoslavia.

It is expected to stop production in 2043. It supplies around 20 percent of Slovenia's electricity needs and 17 percent of Croatia's.