It’s Hungary’s national economic and national security interest to build the two new nuclear power plant units of Paks, and Rosatom is able to implement the investment – told Péter Szijjártó minister of foreign affairs and trade to MTI, following his meeting with Rosatom leader Alexey Likhachev in Istambul. The minister also told Rosatom made it clear that from a technological point of view they are still able to implement the project. He added: Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority is checking the submitted license approvals, and once the approved licenses have been received, the project can step into the next phase. 

The construction of the two new nuclear power plant units of Paks is in the national security, national economic and national strategic interest of Hungary, and it will make the energy supply of Hungary more secure and reliable – cited MTI the minister. 

 

All pending issues that are necessary for the Paks expansion to enter the second, implementation phase this September have been clarified with the management of the Russian nuclear power company Rosatom – MTI quoted Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

 

He said that the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA) has to issue four other important licences before the construction can begin, the most important of which is the implementation licence, but applications have also been submitted for the reactor vessel, the nuclear island and the reactor building for Unit 5.

He highlighted: the Russian Party is going to provide every necessary documentation which is required for the HAEA to be able to give an informed opinion as soon as possible.

- If everything comes together as agreed today, it is entirely realistic that the Paks NPP investment will enter the second, implementation phase this September – he said.

As Péter Szijjártó pointed out, all of these is necessary to operate the two new units by 2030, thus the current power – 2000 MW – of the Paks NPP will be increased to 4400 MW. 

 

Finally, the minister underlined that when the EU sanctions were adopted, it was stated, and even recorded in law, that the peaceful, civilian use of nuclear energy is not subject to restrictions, and that Rosatom itself was not included in any sanctions list, so the cooperation does not violate any rules.The minister emphasized: at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century the world (Europe and Hungary as well) has to face such challenges, which no one expected. It’s not only our physical security, but also the security of energy supply – he added.

– It is our aim to have the nuclear power plant constructed by 2030, which is a realistic goal, as the Hungarian government is for the continuation of the investment – he summarized.