PAKS (dpa-AFX) – Hungary and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom have agreed on a timetable for the long-planned expansion of the Hungarian nuclear power plant Paks. “It can now be stated with certainty that the two new blocks will come online at the beginning of the 2030s,” Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday. He had previously signed the corresponding agreement with Rosatom boss Alexei Likhachev at the Paks site, 100 kilometers south of Budapest.
The two new units are intended to replace two of the four reactors that were previously in operation. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had already had the construction with the Russian President in 2014 Wladimir Putin agreed. Rosatom is supposed to supply the reactors and fuel rods. Moscow also provided a loan worth ten billion euros, which covers more than 80 percent of the costs. Even after the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine began in February 2022, Orban did not change any of the plans.
The execution fell short of expectations. It was only last year that the Hungarian state nuclear authority issued the necessary building permits. “The expansion of Paks is no longer about paperwork, but about real construction work,” said Szijjarto on Tuesday. According to Russian media, Likhachev said that Russia was sending its “best forces” to the project.
“The attention for the project will be increased,” said the Rosatom boss, referring to Hungary’s energy cooperation with Russia, which has been widely criticized in the EU. The EU member also continues to purchase natural gas and pipeline oil from Russia. As Hungary’s neighbor, Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, has repeatedly advocated international sanctions against the nuclear power’s nuclear industry.
The Paks nuclear power plant was built from 1969 to 1987. It has four pressurized water reactors of the Soviet type VVER-440/213. Its daily output is given as 2000 megawatts. This means it covers just over 50 percent of Hungary’s electricity needs./mau/gm/DP/mis