Russia starts construction of reactor vessels for Paks nuclear power plant

BUDAPEST, Oct 1 – PRIME. In Russia, the production of reactor vessels for new units of the Paks nuclear power plant has started, in Hungary earthworks are being carried out in parallel, said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.

“While earthworks continue in Paks (city – ed.), the production of reactor vessels has begun in Russia. These elements are essentially the heart of a nuclear power plant, since a controlled chain reaction will take place here, which will provide energy during operation,” wrote he is on social media.

The minister noted that “all permits for the production of 330-ton elements with a height of more than 11 meters were received from the nuclear energy department, Hungarian specialists also carried out the necessary tests, all conditions for the manufacture of reactor vessels were met and the first stage of work was forging.”

At the end of August, the Hungarian Atomic Energy Administration issued a general license for the construction of the fifth and sixth units of the Paks nuclear power plant, the reactor building of the fifth power unit, and six permits for the construction of a “nuclear island”. The Hungarian government also expressed its intention to extend the life of the existing power units of the Paks nuclear power plant.

The only nuclear power plant in Hungary, Paks, is located 100 kilometers from Budapest and five from the city of Paks. The station was built according to the Soviet project, it operates four units with VVER-440 reactors. The Paks nuclear power plant now generates almost half of all electricity in Hungary, and with the planned commissioning of two new Paks units, this share is expected to double. For Hungary, nuclear energy is a way to ensure its energy security, the leadership of this country has repeatedly emphasized.

At the end of 2014, Russia and Hungary signed documents on the construction at Paks NPP of new power units No. 5 and No. 6 with reactor plants according to the advanced Russian project VVER-1200, which meets the most modern standards of reliability and safety. It was reported that Russia would give Hungary a state loan of up to 10 billion euros for the Paks-2 project, and the total cost of the work would be 12.5 billion euros.