On August 26, 2022, following the review of the design documentation, the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (OAH) issued the licence for the construction of two power units with Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactors at the Paks II nuclear power plant site.
This is the first time that a power unit with this type of reactor has been issued a construction licence in the European Union.
The construction licence proves that the new nuclear power plant units comply with Hungarian and European safety standards. The Paks II project will be implemented with cutting-edge automated active and passive safety systems, including a reinforced concrete containment with a double wall structure and a core catcher to prevent the release of radioactive substances from the active zone in the extremely unlikely event of a beyond-design accident.
“Today, the Paks II NPP project is taking another leap forward. The construction license confirms that the project complies with the international and Hungarian safety requirements. It is entirely feasible that Hungary will have two new power units by 2030, thus ensuring the stability of energy supply,” noted Péter Szijjártó Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“An enormous amount of work has been accomplished together with our Hungarian partners to prepare the documentation. The construction license for the new power units of the Hungarian NPP demonstrates firm belief in the Russian VVER-1200 technology, which has successfully passed the test of time and proved its safety and reliability. We are confident that the Paks II NPP will guarantee Hungary’s energy sovereignty for almost a century and bring European countries closer to achieving climate goals,” said Alexey Likhachev, ROSATOM Director General.
“A number of key licences issued by the Hungarian authority, the OAH, for the nuclear power plant construction project is an important step towards the transition of the project to the construction stage of two state-of-the-art, safest possible nuclear power units with Generation III+ reactors, which will ensure Hungary's stable and financially affordable electricity supply until the end of the century,” said Alexander Merten, Vice President of the main project’s contractor ASE JSC (ROSATOM subsidiary), Director of the Paks II NPP project.
Background:
The Paks II is a turnkey project, based on the Hungarian-Russian intergovernmental agreement for the construction of the new nuclear power plant signed on 14 January 2014 and the EPC contract signed on 9 December 2014. Power units 5 and 6 have a guaranteed lifetime of 60 years. The main contractor of the project is Rosatom's engineering company, ASE JSC. Currently, preparations for the construction of the new nuclear power plant are underway on the construction site, with soil reinforcement, preparation for the construction of the anti-filtration curtains, and construction of the temporary works area facilities. Rosatom's portfolio of foreign orders includes 34 units at various stages of implementation in 11 countries.