Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Thursday met Aleksey Likhachev, the Director-General of Russian energy giant Rosatom, to discuss the upgrade of Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant, the PM’s press chief has said.
The construction of two new blocks at the plant is proceeding according to schedule, and in compliance with Hungarian and European Union regulations, the meeting confirmed. In June, contractors applied for the construction permit of the National Atomic Energy Authority (OAH), and obtained the permit of the Hungarian energy office in November, Bertalan Havasi said.
Construction of the nuclear blocks is expected to start next autumn, they said.
Participants of the meeting agreed that a domestic source of cheap, reliable and clean energy is key to Hungary’s competitiveness. Nuclear and sustainable resources are also essential for the country to achieve its climate protection goals, they said.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and János Süli, the minister without portfolio responsible for the Paks upgrade, also attended the meeting, as did Alexander Merten, the deputy head of the Rusatom International Network and Vladimir Sergeev, Russia’s Ambassador to Hungary.
featured image via MTI/PM’s Press Office/Zoltán Fischer
