Steven N.“We’ve reached an important milestone with the National Atomic Energy Agency granting a construction permit for the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant, so the actual construction phase can begin and the new units can be operational by 2030,” Péter Szijjártó announced on Facebook on Friday.
In a video, the Foreign Minister said that plans for building the two new reactors had reached a very important turning point, since hundreds or even thousands of permits have to be obtained for such projects, but this one is the most important of them all.
It ensures that the process will able to move from the preparation to the implementation stage, and in the coming weeks there will be visible signs of this at the Paks site.
-said Minister Szijjártó.
He noted that Hungarian and international experts took two years to examine the more than 400,000-page license application before giving it a “green light.”
“The construction permit proves that construction of the new Paks nuclear power plant units will meet the highest and most stringent Hungarian and international standards and requirements,” he stated, adding that it will be complemented by permits for fire protection, disaster protection, environmental protection and mining supervision.
Szijjártó believes that the two units can realistically be operational by 2030. [Magyar Narancs]
If the plant is operational by 2030, it will be 4 years behind the schedule agreed on in 2014.
The 2014 deal centers around a 10-billion Euro Russian loan, earmarked Rosatom reactor construction, covering 80% of the construction costs, to be paid back in semi-annual rates beginning in 2026, the originally proposed year of operation. 20% of the billed amounts must be paid to Rosatom by the Hungarian state. Conservatve estimates in 2014, set total costs of the finished project at minimum 20 billion Euros.
There are several unresolved issues with the EU regarding the indirect 20% state-subsidy of MVM (the commercial utility company which then sells the power provided by the plant).
Also, environmental concerns over the increased heating of the Danube (the source of cooling water for the plant) and the expected need for a dam and reservoir, have not yet been addressed convincingly.
Thanks for providing this important context Michael. If the loan has to be repaid starting in 2026, it will be an extra burden on the state without getting any output from the new units for the following four years.