The aim is to ensure that most of the electricity needed to meet future demand is generated by domestic power plants.Continue reading
Work on the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant is proceeding smoothly, which will enable Hungary to maintain its energy security, preserve the results of the reduction of electricity prices, and further strengthen environmental protection, said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó.
The minister noted that he had recently held a telephone conversation with Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Russia’s Rosatom, with whom he had reviewed the status of the Paks expansion project in order to ensure that the project can be handed over as soon as possible.
He noted that
the construction is proceeding “smoothly and without any disruption,” with 2.7 kilometers of slab-lining completed at the end of last year and soil stabilization work now underway.
This will be completed by the middle of next year, when 70,000 piles will be placed in the ground at varying depths, of which 3,000 have been installed so far.
As he said, “it looks like we can keep to the current schedule.”
By the end of this year the first concrete will be poured, and “we will be able to start the necessary tests as early as February,”
he stressed.
The minister added that the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority had already issued all the necessary permits for the work that is underway and about to start. He also said that the recent adoption by parliament of an amendment to the Nuclear Safety Act that simplifies the licensing process and allows the project to proceed faster than before, while ensuring maximum compliance with safety requirements, is a great help in this regard.
Photo via Facebook/Paks II. Atomerőmű Zrt.
The politician announced that the production of the reactor vessel will start sometime in the spring, probably in April, with procurement of the raw materials already underway, while the crucial melt trap will be ready by April or May.
He stressed that
the Paks expansion will double Hungary’s current nuclear capacity.
He added that the construction of the two new reactor units will increase the share of nuclear energy in Hungary’s electricity supply to around 70 percent, and that if the current and planned solar capacities are added, Hungary will be very close to self-sufficiency.
Péter Szijjártó also underlined that the Paks expansion will reduce natural gas imports by 3-3.5 billion cubic meters per year, making the country much less exposed to the vagaries and price rises in the international energy market.
In addition, it will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 17 million tons, contributing significantly to environmental efforts,”
he stressed.
He concluded that Alexey Likhachev would be visiting Hungary again soon to review the status of the process and the legal issues involved.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Paks II. Atomerőmű Zrt.