Hungary to Extend Lifetime of Paks Powerplant

Hungary aims to extend the lifetime of its sole nuclear power plant by 20 years to bridge major delays to its Russian-managed expansion, according to a senior official. The government is currently assessing safety issues after previous 20-year extensions to the four existing reactors in the last decade. (BBG)

• On April 11, as per Tass, after a meeting in Moscow between Minister Peter Szijjarto and Director General of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev, it was announced that the parties had agreed to amend the agreements on the construction and financing of the Paks-2 nuclear power plant.
• Currently, four power units operate at the station. Preparations were said to be underway for the construction of two new power units designed by Rosatom.
• The project has been marred by delays, including due to initial European Union opposition to the investment and the quality of Rosatom’s plans, which Hungary’s own regulator has said fell short of stringent requirements.