Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjártó have held talks as part of the joint working visit to Turkey. The parties emphasized the high-level accomplishment of the Paks-2 NPP project resulting from the joint effective work with the Hungarian owner of the construction of future Gen 3+ NPP power units built according to the Russian design.
During the meeting, Russian and Hungarian leaders emphasized the vital significance of maintaining the ongoing dialogue, that demonstrated high interest in the project implementation on the part of the main participants and foreign partners.
As Peter Szijjártó pointed out earlier, "energy cooperation with Russia serves the cause of both countries. The speedy construction of two Paks NPP new units will further strengthen Hungary's energy safety and reduce significantly its dependence on any abrupt changes in the international energy market."
Following the negotiations, the parties agreed to continue the implementation of the most important area of cooperation between the Russian Federation and Hungary - the construction of two new Paks NPP power units, taking into account the current foreign policy situation.
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Presently the Paks-2 NPP construction site reports about the construction of a 2.7 km curtain grouting having been completed, soil stabilization being completed, builders’ starting soil excavation from the pit to the 27m design level by the end of July, CEB facilities under construction; moreover works on the construction of nuclear units themselves are scheduled to begin by the end of this year.
Simultaneously, the work on production of the nuclear island components (such as reactor, steam generators, RCPs, etc.) for the future power units is organized with Rosatom enterprises. At the end of April 2024, the AEM Technologies Plant started production of the reactor vessel for power unit No. 5 near St. Petersburg in Kolpino. To date, about 600 tons of semi-finished metallurgical products have been cast in liquid steel equivalent, which is about half of the volume required to produce the reactor plant. The process of mechanical processing of parts has begun.
By the end of July, a melt localization device, the first large-sized cargo to arrive in Paks from Russia, is to be delivered to the construction site.
Paks II NPP project
Paks-II NPP project is being implemented on the basis of Russian-Hungarian Intergovernmental Agreement dated January 14, 2014 and three basic contracts for construction of the new NPP. The main license for construction of Paks II NPP was issued by the Hungarian regulatory authority in August 2022. Paks II NPP with two VVER-1200 power units of 3+ generation will be built on a turn-key basis. The guaranteed lifetime of the new Hungarian power units is 60 years.
Paks II NPP is the first Russian project in the European Union. The obtained construction license confirms that up-to-date Gen 3+ VVER 1200 power units designed in Russia meet the most stringent international and European safety requirements.
The Paks NPP operates 4 VVER-440 reactors, which generate half of the electricity produced in Hungary.
Communications Division
Rosatom State Corporation Engineering Division