The Paks nuclear power plant (NPP), in Hungary, will feature the most advanced nuclear technology in the world by 2027, when its second phase (Paks II) is launched.

Paks II would incorporate generation 3+ technology, Hungarian government commissioner for Paks II Atilla Aszodi said during a media briefing in Budapest last week.

He noted that construction on Paks II, which would use technology supplied by nuclear giant Rosatom, would start in 2018.

“We hope to get the fifth block online by the end of 2023 and we expect the blocks to start commercial operation in 2025 and 2026,” he added.

The existing Paks NNP comprised four Russian-supplied VVER-440 pressurised water reactors, which were commissioned between 1982 and 1987.

Under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement signed by Turkey and Russia in 2014, Russian enterprises and their international subcontractors would supply two VVER-1200 reactors for the second phase, while also providing a €10-billion loan to finance 80% of the project.

European Atomic Energy Community had approved a contract between Hungary and Russia on nuclear fuel supply for the project in April last year.

The European Commission was, however, probing whether Hungary’s decision to award a contract to Russia to build the nuclear reactors was in line with its procurement regulations.

“Awarding the contract without a tender does not mean that we have not investigated all market possibilities. Through our research, we are confident that we have made the best technical and affordable decision for our country,” Aszodi said.

He added that not all European countries invited bids for nuclear projects, emphasising that there were other nuclear projects where the tender process had not been used to select nuclear technology.

“We are in daily contact with the European Commission and we hope to finish those processes soon. We do not foresee these challenges hampering the process or timeline of the construction of the second phase of the NPP in any way," he said.

Aszodi stated that Hungary had, throughout preparations for Paks II, "respected all relevant and existing national, European Union (EU) and international laws.”

"Hungary has provided extensive and detailed information to the European Commission regarding every question it raised and will continue to do so in the future.”

He noted that both the 2014 intergovernmental agreement and the engineering, procurement and construction contract signed in December 2015, had complied with the EU regulations on public procurement procedures.

Meanwhile, Hungary was also working towards securing an environmental licence for Paks II, which included adhering to the processes of the convention on environmental-impact assessment in a transboundary context (Espoo).

Aszodi expected Hungary to complete the Espoo process for Paks II this year.

Rosatom, which was one of the bidders interested in participating in South Africa’s nuclear new build programme, sponsored a press tour to Hungary to showcase its capabilities outside of Russia.

It believed it could replicate the economic spinoffs that were achieved at Paks on a larger scale in South Africa.

*Anine Killian was a guest of Rosatom on a press tour in Hungary.