MOSCOW, February 6. /TASS/. Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom is actively seeking contractors in Hungary for the Paks II NPP project and is ready to train them, Vitaly Polyanin, Vice President of Atomstroyexport (ASE) (the state corporation's engineering division) and Director of the Paks-2 NPP construction project, announced.
"We are actively seeking contractors in the region and are ready to train them. Previously, Hungary had no companies involved in NPP construction. We will organize training at our training center and at the contractors' facilities—Titan-2 Concern and Bayer Construct—under the supervision of experienced specialists," he said in an interview with the industry newspaper Strana Rosatom.
According to Polyanin, about 180 workers are currently working on the site. By July, 1,200 people will be needed.
"We are working with the Titan-2 concern on the foundation slab, and the Hungarian company Bayer Construct is their subcontractor. The international company Bauer is working on the soil stabilization," he said, adding that currently, the main jobs in demand are construction workers: concrete workers, reinforcement workers, and surveyors. Next, they will need fitters, electricians, heating installers, and then adjusters.
Speaking about key achievements for 2025, Polyanin noted the fact that the project made significant progress last year.
"We received permission to construct the foundation slab for Unit 1 of the Paks II NPP, the nuclear island buildings, and we have developed a balanced production program with the customer until July 1, 2027, assigning tasks to us, the customer, and the supervisory authority. This program is funded in accordance with the current contract. The Hungarian supervisory authority noted that this is the first time they have seen such a detailed program. We hope the customer will complete this work in 2026. After that, the project will be unstoppable," Polyanin assured.
On Thursday, CEO Alexey Likhachev and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto gave start to the first concrete pouring for the foundation of the Paks II NPP. The first concrete pouring is considered a milestone in the nuclear power plant construction process. In accordance with IAEA standards, after the pouring of the first concrete, the facility is officially designated a "nuclear power plant under construction." This marks the transition from preparatory work to the main construction phase.
According to Rosatom representatives, the Paks-2 NPP will now become the largest nuclear construction project and the largest Russian project in Europe. Its general contractor is JSC Atomstroyexport.
The Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which uses Russian nuclear fuel, currently supplies 45% of the electricity generated and 36% of the electricity consumed in Hungary. Units 5 and 6 are scheduled to be connected to the grid in the early 2030s. After that, the capacity of the Paks nuclear complex, located on the Danube River 100 kilometers south of Budapest, will increase from the current 2,000 megawatts to 4,400 megawatts. Nuclear power will account for 70% of Hungary's national energy mix.