Paks II project in the construction phase

Nuclear energy remains the decisive source of climate-friendly electricity in Hungary today. Nearly three-quarters of the country's carbon-free electricity is currently produced by the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. The two new units under construction at Paks are intended to ensure the long-term maintenance of nuclear energy production. The Paks II investment guarantees that Hungary's energy supply will be secure until the end of the century, ensuring that there will be sufficient and affordable electricity in our country. The construction of the new units will strengthen our country's energy sovereignty. 

Nuclear energy is also an important tool in the fight against climate change, as nuclear power generation does not produce carbon dioxide emissions.

According to UN data, the carbon footprint of nuclear power plants is the same as wind power plants per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced over their entire life cycle, and about a quarter of that of solar power plants, and they require the least land compared to renewables.

This year, the first preparatory phase of the Paks project was completed, and in August 2023 the project entered the second phase of actual physical construction.

Paks II is a major international project, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Russian nuclear power company Roszatom, the main contractor, and a number of major Western suppliers.

In addition to around a hundred Hungarian companies, American, French, German, Swedish and Austrian companies have joined the project as subcontractors. There is a significant market for companies involved in the Paks II project, as many countries in Europe and around the world, like Hungary, have decided to extend the lifetime of their existing units or to build new nuclear power plants.

The Paks expansion is being carried out under the strictest safety and environmental standards.

Site preparation works at the Paks II nuclear power plant are progressing well. The work, which is being carefully carried out and supervised by the authorities, can be divided into three key tasks: excavation of the soil, construction of the slotted wall and soil consolidation. The working pit, which has been deepened in recent months, already gives an idea of the scale of the Paks II project. In the first phase, more than one and a half million cubic metres of soil were excavated to a depth of minus five metres, but in some places the pit will be more than 20 metres deep. (The volume of work carried out here is illustrated by the fact that the 1.5 million cubic metres of soil excavated in the last few months is equivalent to 27 kilometres of motorway excavation.)

As there is an operating nuclear power plant next to the facility, the area of the two new units will be surrounded by a slit wall. The 1 m thick, 32 m deep, 2.7 km long underground water barrier will ensure that groundwater can only enter the working pit in a controlled and minimal way and prevent groundwater levels in the surrounding areas from dropping. Gap walling is a proven civil engineering technique that has been used for decades around the world and in our country.

The site preparation works are well underway, with soil consolidation already taking place in the two new blocks.

Soil consolidation, which started in November, will reinforce the soil under the blocks' buildings, also using technology known from international practice. The aim is to ensure the stability and earthquake resistance of the installation built on consolidated soil.

With the commissioning of units 5 and 6 and the extension of the operating lifetime of the units to 70%, the role of nuclear energy in meeting domestic needs will increase. This represents another significant step towards a sustainable transition to a green economy. Together with the solar capacity, this will enable us to meet 95% of Hungary's electricity demand from climate-friendly domestic sources.