The interactive exhibition of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant and MVM Paks II. Nuclear Power Plant Development Ltd. is to arrive at its fourth festival stop this year, the Debrecen Flower Carnival, between 18 and 20 August. During the festival tour of the Interactive Lorry bearing the logo ‘Energy for Our Future’ this year, a number of star guests and even more festival-going young people and families could take control of the realistic control console of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which accounts for more than half the electricity generated in Hungary. In the coming one week, carnival-goers in Debrecen can also try out how certain counties or even the whole country would plunge into darkness or, simultaneously, how much more electricity would cost and how the pollutant emissions of the country would increase if the output of the nuclear power plant were reduced. Among the beautiful flower compositions, visitors will also get an answer to the question concerning how much they need to pedal the power-generating bike for drying their hair, charging their phones or just for generating the electricity required for one of the concerts of the flower carnival.

The interactive truck bearing the logo ‘Energy for Our Future’, which made a debut this year at VOLT, then also appeared successfully at EFOTT organised in Miskolctapolca and in Kapolcs in the Valley of Arts, can be visited during the flower carnival. After this, the exhibition will welcome interested visitors at the Szerencs Chocolate Festival, during the Szeged Youth Days and at the Nyíregyháza VIDOR Festival.

The interactive exhibition has been touring festivals for the fifth year; so far more than 200,000 people in total could become familiar with the operation of nuclear power plants and could experience why it is important to maintain the capacity of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant from the point of view the energy supply and economy of the country. The exhibition presents all operational nuclear power plants in the world, the history of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which has been operating safely for three decades, the Hungarian electricity grid as well as the colourful flora and fauna of Paks and its environs. Technical questions that may arise are answered by experienced and competent specialists working in Paks.

‘The goal of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant is make as many Hungarian families as possible familiar with the technology of the nuclear power plant, which is outstandingly safe even in international comparison,’ said György Felkai, Communications Director of the MVM Group. ‘Everybody can see on the simulator how much more electricity would cost if, by reducing the output of the nuclear power plant, it would be necessary to start up other fossil fuel-fired power plants, which would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions. The generation of large quantities of pollutant-free electricity can be ensured only with nuclear power plants; for example, the four existing Paks units save one-fifth of the oxygen demand in Hungary every year, which equals the total oxygen output of forests in this country. In Hungary the Paks Nuclear Power Plant provides reliable electricity at an affordable price. This is why it has been and will be necessary to extend the design life of the Paks units by 20 years and continue their operation with a continuously high level of public support, and to ensure that the new units strengthen the energy security of Hungary.’

The interactive exhibition is also visited by a number of star guests every year. This year, Ivan & The Parazol tried their hand at controlling the nuclear power plant at the VOLT Festival, the rockers of the band Hooligans mounted the saddles of power-generating bikes at EFOTT to generate all the power required for their concert by pedalling, and in Kapolcs the band Cloud 9+ modelled the negative effects of the reduction of the electricity generation of the nuclear power plant. The interactive exhibition is visited by renowned guests every year.

In previous years, artists committed to environmental protection such as the singer Ákos and the musicians of Irie Maffia and Balkan Fanatik, as well as the founder of the Random Trip jam project and drummer of Turbo, Jávor Delov, tested the control console.