Focus on the construction of the construction-assembly base

The construction and assembly base, or CEB (Construction Erection Base) as it is known in the thick of the new nuclear power plant, north of the units, will have 124 structures. By the end of 2024, all the building permits required for their construction will have been issued by the National Atomic Energy Authority, and about half of them are under construction. Zsolt Péter, who has been heading the CEB Facilities programme element coordinating the construction, has been a member of the Paks II team for six years.

In fact, he chose civil engineering at random, despite the fact that he had a family history in this field: the Bonyhád Gymnasium, within whose walls he studied, was built on the basis of his great-grandfather's designs and construction.

Despite this, he wanted to become a chemist, but - perhaps fortunately - was advised against it by doctors. At the Budapest University of Technology, however, he was already fascinated by the profession and his university years were fantastic. His integrating personality, persuasiveness and organisational skills were already evident here. He was able to easily win over his team mates and was already in charge of the practical work.

With a degree in civil engineering in his pocket, he took a job as a foreman at the Szekszárd-Paks Water Company, from where he left after 22 years as managing director. Of all the challenging tasks he completed between the two dates, the Sárközi drainage was the first to be mentioned. This involved adjusting the groundwater level in the wetlands of the Sárköz by draining to increase productivity. One memorable project was the covering of the Magura stream in Szekszárd, for which they used a concrete element designed by their company manager and manufactured especially for them. For this, he had to design the most optimal foundation and placement. "Everyone 'ran away', leaving me, a young engineer, with the task. It was my first big investment" , he adds.

Throughout his career, he has faced many challenges of similar complexity but in different areas. They have provided expertise in opencast coal mining in Bátonyterenye, radioactive waste storage in Bátaapáti, the development of a 500,000 cubic metre flood protection embankment, 11 hectares of landscaping, dredging in Gönyű, and operational tasks at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. They also operated a drinking water plant, fire water wells, a sewage treatment plant, hot and cold water sewers, among others.

The construction of the modularly expandable Spent Fuel Storage Facility for the interim storage of spent fuel at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, located next to the plant, also relied on Zsolt Péter's expertise.

In both the figurative and real sense of the word. The site chosen for the building had to be replaced under very specific conditions. Partly because a 10-metre deep excavation pit had been opened in the vicinity of an operating nuclear facility, and partly because the facility already had a licence from the National Nuclear Energy Office, a solution had to be found that would not require a new licence. Pile foundations, for example, were therefore out of the question. The repository was built under licence from a British engineering company, which also had to be satisfied that the proposed foundation method was appropriate.

"On the eastern side, we developed a special underwater soil exchange system, which has been used ever since. There were compressible layers with organic content, we lifted this up to ten metres, reedfilled around it, backfilled it with sandy gravel and made gravel piles with added material, while not using dewatering"- he says of the details. He makes no secret of the fact that it was all done in the immediate vicinity of an operating nuclear power plant. He had been managing this work as technical manager of an Issaq-based company. "I got an offer I couldn't refuse," he says of the reason for the switch. As a result of his years there, he credits a haulage company with little previous construction experience for turning its operations into a nuclear enterprise. But not only did they gain nuclear certification, they also introduced a quality management and environmental management system. He loved the work, but not the hundreds of kilometres a day commute, so seeing that something really exciting was being created in Paks, he applied for a job at Paks II. Atomerőmű Zrt..

As a technical inspector, he was first given the job of preparing the two block work pits. But at the beginning of this year, he was given a new job, as programme manager in charge of the CEB facilities."In 1988, filling this area was the first job of my life", he notes. Returning to the Paks II project, he says that working with excellent colleagues is very inspiring. "There is huge potential in this team. I like to let them develop because then they can do wonders", he says of his colleagues.

We work directly with around a dozen and a half professionals representing a wide range of disciplines, including architects, civil engineers, electricians, building services engineers, transport engineers, hydraulic engineers, fire protection engineers.

He has also managed to establish good communication with the main contractor, as he says that if they are precise and clear in their expectations, they will deliver exactly to the expected quality. An integral part of his job is to visit the CEB regularly, in many cases with a member of the HSE department. As he half-jokingly points out, they leave no stone unturned, as they both have a keen eye and can spot situations that need action immediately. Cooperation is close, not only with the Paks II staff, but also with the main contractor and the authorities.

"I have never had a job of this size, but I think few people in Hungary have the opportunity to organise the work of 77 licensed buildings" - he elaborates. There are also several construction projects underway, two are close to handover. The experience gained from the permitting and construction of these projects is being used and incorporated into their work. They know what to expect, they know what to expect and they refine the documentation to make the work easier. He says he has no fears that he won't face such challenges next year, and 2025 is expected to be his year, as the construction and installation base will be busy, with most of the buildings due to be completed by the end of the year.

"It's a huge challenge, of course I'm a bit excited, but I'm confident that the construction and installation base will be of the right quality and will be perfectly usable", he says. The fact that he has to tackle a more complex task than ever before is not a source of uncertainty. In fact, he enjoys the rush, the challenges, the situations in which there is no time to hesitate, when action is required. Zsolt Péter only likes comfort in the circumstances, he is not afraid of unusual tasks at work, he looks for possible solutions and if he can't find them, he treads new paths.