– Recent events have clearly highlighted the need for the Paks II. investment. Geopolitical changes have strengthened the role of nuclear energy, which has become inevitable not only for climate protection but also for energy security as well, Péter Rákóczi said at the roundtable discussion in Szekszárd. The communications director of Paks II. added that the Paks project is a major international investment, as there will be a Russian primary circuit with French-German I&C technology and an American-French turbine island. He emphasized that they are planning for a 100-year timescale, spanning generations, to ensure that well-functioning units will still be operating in Hungary in 2100. The communications director underlined: - We, in the Paks II. project are working to ensure that the Paks units are commercially operational as soon as possible, in full compliance with nuclear safety standards.

Máté Litkei, Director of the Climate Policy Institute, said that Hungary is relatively well on the road to carbon neutrality. 60% of the electricity generated in Hungary is carbon neutral, the majority of which is supplied by the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. Our most important climate-neutral source is therefore nuclear power, which produces independently from weather, with extremely high availability. - Although the Hungarian system has twice the capacity of solar power compared to the Paks NPP, that production is weather-dependent, so we can only expect it in 2000 out of 8760 hours of the year.

According to Balázs Szepesi, Head of the School of Economics of Mathias Corvinus Collegium, the investment could give a major boost to the region. The expert expects that local businesses will look for suppliers in the near vicinity, demand for housing will increase, infrastructure will develop and even hydrogen technology could appear. – Neighbouring cities must be able to both compete and cooperate to provide opportunities – stressed Mr. Szepesi the importance of dialogue.