Every major investment uses the given region’s resources intensively. Our aim is that during the construction of the two new units this happens the in the optimal way, so those living here can have an opportunity to join the investment – highlighted dr. Attila Becskeházi, State Secretary responsible for infrastructure development, innovation and localization connected to the maintenance of capacity of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. The task and responsibility of the State Secretariat is to coordinate governmental developments related to nuclear power plant construction. – We are working together with Paks, and county and settlements municipalities of Baranya, Tolna, Somogy, Fejér and Bács-Kiskun counties. We also founded an inter-portfolio coordination body, which is attended by seven ministries and their back offices – told the State Secretary.

According to dr. Attila Becskeházi, the 10 to 12,000 employees of the investment will be accomodated in Paks and the surroundings. Reconstruction of the barracks in Kalocsa could create accommodation for thousands of people, and several, smaller ones by renovating the unused buildings owned by the municipalities in the area. – Sustainability is important to us, our aim is to make the flats available for other purposes following the construction, e.g. in social services or tourism. Permanent homes will be built in Paks, those will be used by the operation personnel later. During the peak period of the implementation a significant increase of manpower is expected for a short time, thus we will construct temporary, comfortable container houses – explained the State Secretary.

– We will start a program together with the health portfolio, which will focus on the healthcare development of Paks and the region. It includes the Paks Medical Center and the ambulance station, the hospital of Szekszárd and the clinical department of the University of Pécs. Provision should be made for the healthcare of workers, including foreign language speakers, and for the education of their children. The area will host 10 to 12,000 employees, including 3,000 to 3,500 Russian-speaking workers, and will need to develop in a number of areas, such as Russian-speaking teachers. The universities of Pécs and Debrecen take part in their training. – Paks II. is an investment in international cooperation – Suppliers from many European countries will come to us. Hundreds of Russian workers are already working in Paks – said dr. Attila Becskeházi.

He also said the construction of the infrastructure serving the investment is a complex task, the goal is not to burden Paks. 60 km of new road is being built, 330 km will be renovated, the Paks port will be improved, the city section of the Mezőfalva-Paks train line will be sound-proof. The preparation of the new Danube-bridge is going smoothly, the investment can start soon. – By constructing the bridge the western part of Bács-Kiskun county and the region of Paks can join other economy development projects, their competitiveness will improve. We intend to solve the workers’ travel by electronic vehicles. The e-mobility program is environmentally friendly, just like the Paks II project itself, as – just every nuclear energy investment – it is the symbol of clean energy production – underlined State Secretary dr. Attila Becskeházi.

Training professionals is a great challenge, as professionals with a specialized knowledge are needed. Therefore the state secretariat with seven universities (Pécs, Dunaújváros, Miskolc, Veszprém, Debrecen, BME, Szeged) founded an educational, traning cluster, which includes not only education but also nuclear and energy innovation and research&development in these fields. They rely heavily on the Universities of Pécs and Dunaújváros in the region and develop competence centers with them. At the Szekszárd faculty of the University of Pécs an intermediate training in energy I&C is planned to be implemented as part of adult education, while a welding and material testing competence center will be established in Dunaújváros. The competencies connected to the investment will be further developed in the Energy Grammar School of Paks, and the Paks II. Academy training program, initiated by the Paks II Ltd. will also be expanded.