Hungary is still among the firsts in the European electricity price competition. According to the data of the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority, the average electricity price in Hungary was 10.85 eurocents/kWh in May. Only in Serbia was it cheaper, 7.55 eurocents/kWh. In Austria, one of the neighboring countries that prefers renewables, consumers pay twice the Hungarian electricity price (20.99 eurocents/kWh). Denmark is the second most expensive country according to statistics (27.27 eurocents/kWh).

In Germany, which bases its energy mix mainly on renewable sources and rejects nuclear energy, the average price of electricity is three times higher than in Hungary: here the household consumer pays 32.65 eurocents for one kWh of electricity. With this price, Germany is the most expensive in the ranking.

Of the EU member states, Germany is not only the most expensive, but also leading in carbon emissions. Last year, Germany was ranked eighth among the 28 Member States of the European Union in terms of CO₂ emissions from the production of one MWh of electricity (starting with the most polluting one), which was not very illustrious. The EU has the most wind and solar capacity here, but due to the fluctuating production of weather-dependent energy sources, fossil power plants very often ensure the continuity of supply. Thus, in 2019, the production of one MWh of electricity in Germany may be associated with 40% more CO₂ emissions than in Hungary.

Paks II. Ltd. treats nature protection as a priority during the nuclear power plant investment – emphasized CEO István Lenkei. The tasks to be performed prior to the construction of the nuclear power plant are determined by the landscape and nature protection regulations of the environmental license issued for the project. The company entrusted the implementation to MVM ERBE Ltd. As István Lenkei highlighted, the execution of the works is continuous and successful this year, as was the case in previous years. Animals are artificially relocated to specially designated shelters and birds are moved to help them settle in order to allow undisturbed existence for the species and individuals in the area affected by the establishment and to reproduce in the surrounding green areas once the establishment is completed.

 

The area is rich in bird species - sixty-three of the approximately two hundred bird species that breed in Hungary were observed by experts during field trips in the spring of 2020. Also interesting is the nesting of the brown kite and the hobby falcon, as well as the settlement of the wood owl and the red vulture in the northern shelter area. The observations also cover some of the neighboring areas.

 

This year, in addition to inspecting and, if necessary, repairing previously deployed nests, new ones were also installed. In addition to type B nests suitable for singing birds, a type D nest was laid in the acacia near the dam. At the edge of a small clearing, at a height of six meters, a special nesting box made for owls was installed. Most of the type B nests in the area found an owner, as did type D, where the great tit spent time when the professionals visited.

In addition to the animals, attention is also being paid to the vegetation, and work is underway to stop the scrubbing of the northern shelter area in order to preserve the original, open sand steppe grassland.