Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has questioned the deal concluded by his predecessor Viktor Orbán with the Russian state nuclear company „Rosatom“ to expand the „Paks“ NPP, reports „Politiko“, reports News.bg.
The prolonged heat and drought have led to a record low level of the Danube River, which has seriously limited the production of electricity from the „Paks“ NPP. The plant normally provides about a third of the country's electricity, but is currently producing just over 10% of its usual amount.
“These plans were approved despite the fact that nuclear power plants that do not operate with a closed cooling system and are so dependent on the environment are no longer being built around the world,“ said Magyar.
“Rosatom“ insists construction is continuing on schedule
“Rosatom“ CEO Alexey Likhachev said that the construction of the two new reactors in “Paks“ continues on schedule, despite the change of government in Hungary in April.
According to him, the preparation of the concrete foundation for the fifth unit is over 80% complete, while work on the sixth unit is also progressing and components for the reactor are already being produced.
“We are ready for dialogue“, said Likhachev, adding that “Rosatom“ had not received any questions from the new Hungarian government.
Magyar disputed this claim just hours later.
According to him, the original contract provided for “Paks II“ to be put into operation as early as 2024. Instead, Hungary has spent about 1,000 billion forints, or approximately 2.8 billion euros, on a site that, according to him, currently consists mainly of warehouses and “two large concrete pits“. “I don't really see how they respected the contract“, the Hungarian prime minister commented. The government is already conducting a comprehensive review of the project, including financing and cooling systems.
One of Orban's key projects with Russia
The review concerns one of Viktor Orban's landmark deals with Moscow. In 2014, he signed an agreement with Russia to build two new reactors at the Paks nuclear power plant, with the project providing for up to 10 billion euros in Russian state funding.
Two years later, Orban described the agreement as “the deal of the century“.
Cooperation in nuclear energy continued after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, despite EU sanctions against Moscow.
Magyar, who ousted longtime pro-Russian Prime Minister Orban after elections in April, is now questioning both the economic viability of the project and its technical concept.
Low Danube level creates problems for nuclear plants
The problems are not limited to Hungary. Down the Danube, Romania shut down the second and last operating reactor at the Black Water nuclear power plant after the river level fell too low to provide the necessary cooling water. The incident has intensified the debate over the sustainability of nuclear power plants, which rely on large amounts of river water for cooling, in the face of increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat and drought.