BUDAPEST, March 12. /TASS/. The enterprises of Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom have manufactured a melt trap for the Paks-2 nuclear power plant and will soon deliver it to Hungary, head of Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev told reporters after a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto in Budapest.
"In the coming months, we will deliver a melt trap to the plant under the control of Hungarian specialists. After that the construction of the heart of the nuclear power plant - the nuclear reactor - will begin," Likhachev said.
The melt trap is an important component of the plant, designed to ensure safety in the event of a reactor accident. In turn, Szijjarto clarified that its delivery to Paks from Russia is expected in autumn.
This structure, made of high-strength steel, weighing 700 tons, will be transported on a barge, first across the Black Sea and then along the Danube. To accommodate special cargo, the port facilities in Paks are being modernized.
Likhachev also said that the construction of the Paks-2 nuclear power plant is going on schedule.
"We are on schedule. We are aiming for an ambitious time frame for pouring the first concrete before the end of the year," the head of the state corporation said.
Likhachev reiterated that the construction of the Paks-2 nuclear power plant in Hungary under the Rosatom project is carried out in compliance with European Union legislation, but this does not complicate its implementation.
"We are fulfilling all our obligations," Likhachev said.
About Paks project
The Paks NPP, which was built with Soviet technologies, and which uses Russian nuclear fuel, provides half of all generated and one third of consumed electricity in Hungary. At present, four power units with VVER-440 reactors operate at the station built about 100 kilometers south of Budapest on the banks of the Danube.
In late 2014, Russia and Hungary signed documents on the construction of new power units 5 and 6 at Paks NPP with reactor plants of the advanced VVER-1200 project, which meets the most modern standards of reliability and safety. It was reported that Russia would give Hungary a state loan of up to 10 billion euros for the Paks-2 project, with the total cost of construction exceeding 12.5 billion euros. The Hungarian government expects that after the commissioning of two new VVER-1200 nuclear reactors, the plant's capacity will increase from the current 2,000 megawatts to 4,400 megawatts.
The commissioning of two new power units in Paks is planned for the early 2030s.