Construction of NPP Paks expansion reached another milestone

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto announced that the construction of the nuclear power plant Paks expansion has reached a new milestone with the successful completion of soil stabilization beneath the nuclear island of unit 5.

?

Minister Szijjarto said that recent challenges in energy policy highlight the critical need for nations to generate their own energy. He urged for an acceleration in the construction of the two new units, adding that, given Hungary's capabilities, the priority is to expedite the construction of these units.

?

Construction is progressing well, with soil stabilization for unit 5 now finished and similar work for unit 6 underway. Additionally, 24,000 piles have been driven into the ground, nearly a third of the total required for the project.

?

Looking ahead, further construction activities are planned. Minister Szijjarto recently discussed the next steps with Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev. Preparations for comprehensive soil removal are set to begin in mid-September. He noted that over a thousand workers are already on-site, and the workforce is expected to grow significantly in the near future.

?

In January 2014, Hungarian Government has signed deal with Russia`s Rosatom, with a goal to increase output of the power plant, from current 2,000 MW to 4,400 MW by adding two more reactors. Under the agreement, Russia will provide 10 billion euros loan for the construction of new unit in existing NPP, which is around 80 % of estimated construction cost. According to initial plan, first unit was supposed to become operational in 2023. However, under the current timetable, the commissioning of the first reactor is expected in 2030-31. Currently, NPP Paks provides about 50 % of Hungary’s electricity.

Access our Energy News service on Balkan Energy Power

Portal: www.portal.balkanenergy.com

Balkan Energy AG is a leading provider of short and long term Power price forecasts, analytics, energy news and info for Hungary and SEE region. In addition to our well known services, we have recently implemented an extensive "10-year price forecast for HUPX and SEE markets (2025-2035)"