MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia and Hungary have signed a general framework agreement to build two new units of the Paks nuclear power plant, Rusatom Overseas, Rosatom’s international subsidiary, told TASS on Tuesday.

Russia and Hungary agreed to build new units of the Paks nuclear power plant in January 2014. An agreement on cooperation in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Starting from 2015, nuclear plant units with 4.2% enriched nuclear fuel will be gradually switched to 4.7% enriched nuclear fuel, which will increase the fuel cycle of nuclear units to 15 months from 12 months. The switch to higher enriched nuclear fuel will also allow increasing electric power output at the plant and reducing cost of expenditures on planned repairs of the units.

Paks is Hungary’s sole nuclear power plant with four VVER-440 reactors. Its first unit was launched in 1982. Electric power produced at the nuclear plant currently accounts for around 50% of the country’s nuclear power output.