The full package of documents for obtaining a license for the construction of Hungary’s nuclear power plant Paks II has been submitted to the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA).
“Submission of the 283,000 pages license documentation is so far the biggest milestone in the construction of the new units,” said János Süli, minister without portfolio in charge of the design, construction and commissioning of the two new units of the Paks NPP. “The prepared documentation is proof that the new units planned in Paks are in conformity with Hungarian and European rules and safety requirements in all respects. Safety was of key importance in the design of the Paks II Nuclear Power Plant. In addition to the active safety systems requiring energy supply, the new units will also be equipped with passive safety systems capable of performing functions without human or technical intervention.”
From now, the HAEA has one year to review the implementation license application, which it may extend by 3 months.
“A very important stage in preparing the construction of the Paks II Nuclear Power Plant, a modern 3+ generation nuclear power plant was successfully completed,” added Director General of ROSATOM Alexey Likhachev. “We have done an enormous amount of work in preparing the application documentation with our Hungarian partners. Construction of the new Hungarian nuclear power plant units confirms the growing role of nuclear energy in carbon-free energy production and fulfilment of the climate protection targets.”
Currently, almost half of Hungary’s electricity is generated by nuclear reactors. As of 2017, the total installed capacity was about 9 Gigawatt electrical (GWe) and the government plans to increase the nuclear proportion of electricity generation to about 60 per cent.
