Due to the changed international environment, it was necessary to amend and clarify the construction and financing agreement in order to move the project forward, Gergely Jákli said, adding that basically technical corrections were made. The Chairman-CEO also said that the contract amendments were made with the prior approval of the European Commission, and the green light from Brussels was not even a month away.

The head of Paks II. Ltd. also reported that the important phase of the pit excavation, the excavation of the soil down to the groundwater level, was completed, the 2.7-kilometer-long cut-off wall was finished, and in November the soil consolidation activities were started by the German company Bauer. The Hungarian nuclear authority, HAEA, has also issued a construction license for soil consolidation up to design level. The scale of the work is illustrated by the fact that the maximum depth of the Paks II. working pit will be 23 meters – almost enough to accommodate a ten-storey apartment block.

It was also mentioned at the conference that work is also intensive on the international scene, and Paks II. is an active member of the international nuclear industry. A clear example of this and a major recognition was the hosting of CAMP in May, a prestigious scientific forum for the nuclear industry, coordinated by the US NRC. Paks II. Ltd. and WANO also cooperate closely in the field of exchanging nuclear experiences and the company participates in several nuclear conferences. The Chairman-CEO highlighted that Hungary is a member of the nuclear coalition led by France, which was created with the aim of establishing the most favourable EU rules for the operation and construction of nuclear power plants in Europe.

Gergely Jákli also said that the Paks II. project is being implemented in an international cooperation, as in addition to the Contractor, several American, German, French, Swedish, Austrian and already about a hundred Hungarian companies are also participating in it. The turbine island is being supplied by the US-French GE-Alstom consortium, while the I&C technology is being supplied by the German-French Siemens-Framatome consortium. Workers from 11 nations are employed on the construction site.