SIRIUS /Federal territory/, March 26. /TASS/. Reports of delays in the Russian-Hungarian project to build the Paks-2 nuclear power plant will continue, because the ‘liberal mainstream’ is always negative about such projects, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told TASS in an interview.
"There are always rumors around, because you have to understand that whenever you build a nuclear power plant, especially with Russia, you cannot count on the solidarity of the liberal mainstream," he said, when asked to comment on rumors about delays. "So there will be always rumors put out. It's a common endeavor of both Russia and the Hungarian government to finish the construction <…> as soon as possible."
He went on to say that building a nuclear power plant is "one of the most complex investments" that one can imagine.
"Whether you have a one-week delay or a two-week delay, are you finishing one month earlier or three months later - there is no one who could tell you seriously. But the beginning of the next decade - that's a very clear commitment from all of us," the foreign minister explained.
Currently, the Paks nuclear power plant, built by Soviet specialists in the 1980s and powered by Russian nuclear fuel, accounts for half of all electricity generated and a third of electricity consumed in Hungary. Located on the banks of the Danube 100 km south of Budapest, the plant has four power units with VVER-440 reactors.
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.