Miklós Angyal: It is an honour to work in the nuclear industry

„It is an honour to work in this industry,” says Miklós Angyal, who believes that everyone who works at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant or Paks II. Atomerőmű Zrt. is in a privileged position. „Those who work in this industry deserve respect, and they receive it,” he emphasises. His father's example and influence led him to this career. Thanks to him, he got a feel for the nuclear environment as a child, as his father worked at a nuclear power plant, and when the time came, he firmly dissuaded him from his original intention to become an economist, saying that economists are a dime a dozen, but there will always be a need for energy and experts who understand it.

Miklós Angyal is committed not only to the nuclear industry, but also to continuous learning. „Those who stop learning grow old, whether they are twenty or eighty. Continuous learning keeps us young. The greatest thing in life is to keep the mind young,” he said, quoting Henry Ford on his first day at work at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. Since then, he has continued to live by this motto, returning to school time and time again.

The ink on his latest diploma is barely dry, but he already says there will be more to come. „I already know what I want to do next, but now I need to take a breather. It wasn't easy juggling family and work,” he explains. But the results seem to prove him wrong: he has now achieved his best results, passing his final exam with almost perfect marks. And while we're on the subject, he reveals that it was the „agile project manager training” offered by Óbuda University that sparked his curiosity. It's a little outside his comfort zone, but he finds it really interesting and a great opportunity to hone his project management skills.

He first studied energy engineering at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. At that time, he did not yet possess the dedication and awareness that he would later develop. He was interested in mathematics, but not in technical mechanics. Then, unnoticed, his interest in energy began to grow, and at that time this meant not only nuclear energy, but also renewable, conventional and exotic solutions. He began his career as a trainee engineer at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. Following in his father's footsteps, he wanted to work in the control room.

„The primary circuit is close to my heart,” he explains. To get closer to this goal, he re-enrolled at BME. Working three shifts and devoting most of his nights to studying, he completed his reactor engineering training with even greater enthusiasm than before. Since he had started a family and begun building a house in the meantime, he decided to „look into” other areas of energy and obtain the necessary qualifications to prepare the building energy plans for his own house. He notes that this became his thesis, and it turned out very well.

He had not even finished his studies when the power plant decided to obtain the ISO 50001 energy certificate. He was tasked with coordinating the project. The mission was accomplished, but he said goodbye because a new exciting task came into view: the construction of a new nuclear power plant. In addition to the novelty and scale of the investment, he was attracted by the prospect of a full career.

He worked as an instructor, then as an expert in the Primerköri Mechanical Engineering Department, and since July, he has been providing professional support for the training of simulator instructors as a senior expert in the HR Training and Management Support Department. As he adds, he previously worked in the technical field, but mostly had to deal not only with technology, but also with people. He makes no secret of the fact that the latter is more challenging, because while two pumps may be the same, two people are not. When asked what proportion of success is attributable to technology and what proportion to people, after some thought he says: sixty to forty per cent. Because even a perfect machine is useless without a good team of professionals, and without excellent performance.

„We are working to ensure that the right number of qualified specialists are available at the right time to operate Blocks 5 and 6,” he says of his new job. At the same time, he obtained a degree in nuclear technology management engineering, which he is particularly proud of because it is the only domestic qualification recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Its value is further enhanced by the fact that it required much more sacrifice and energy than before, as he and his wife are now raising two children, and he was reluctant to give up time with them in favour of studying.

Miklós Angyal is happy to participate in job fairs promoting the project and recruiting new employees, and he gladly accepted the opportunity to represent Paks II. Atomerőmű Zrt. at the Hungarian stand in Paris, welcoming interested visitors at the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris. The World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) is held every two years. Hungary had not participated in the past, but made a very successful debut this year. In addition to six Hungarian companies, Paks II. Zrt. was the star attraction in our country's impressive pavilion. „From Hungary's perspective, the nuclear industry may not seem very large, but this is refuted by the thousand participating companies representing eighty countries, including small valve manufacturers and major players in the sector, such as Westinghouse, EDF and CNNC. Over the course of three days, the exhibition attracted more visitors than ever before, with 25,000 people attending. Despite the fact that Paks II. did not present any products, we made a good impression on the international professional market. Many indicated that they would like to play an active role in the construction. Experienced, well-known companies see potential in our project,” Miklós summarised his experiences in Paris.