Rosatom 'ready to answer all Paks II questions'

His comments, reported by Russia's official Tass news agency, follows the victory in the Hungarian elections of Péter Magyar's Tisza Party. Magyar, who is set to assume the role of prime minister next month, has said he plans to review the Paks II project, including its cost.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Cairo, Tass reported that Likhachev said: "We will answer all questions, about the price too. All the decisions were made absolutely publicly, in cooperation with the IAEA, in cooperation with international experts. And for us this is not a problem, it's part of our job."

He said they were ready for "an examination of the effectiveness of the project, the validity of its price and other parameters. We have nothing to hide and expect similar trust in the implementation of this project. This is not a Russian or Rosatom project. This project is purely in the interests of the Hungarian people.

"What it will do cannot be overstated: more than 70% of Hungary's energy mix will be stable nuclear electricity. This will cover not only Hungary's own energy supply, but also give it the opportunity to export the most valuable thing in Europe today - energy in general and electric power in the first place. This will make the Hungarian state and the Hungarian people self-sufficient and independent, and also make it extremely competitive as an economic operator."

Background

The Paks plant, 100 kilometres south of Budapest, currently comprises four Russian-supplied VVER-440 pressurised water reactors, which started up between 1982 and 1987. An inter-governmental agreement was signed in early 2014 for Russian enterprises and their international subcontractors to supply two VVER-1200 reactors at Paks as well as a Russian state loan of up to EUR10.0 billion (USD10.5 billion) to finance 80% of the project.

The construction licence application was submitted in July 2020, the licence was issued in August 2022, and a construction timetable was agreed in 2023, with a target to connect the new units to the grid at the beginning of the 2030s. The Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority issued permits in November for first concrete pouring for the foundation of what will be Paks unit 5.

The project is the first Russian nuclear energy construction project started in a country while it is a member of the European Union, and is taking place despite sanctions targeting Russia. It is the first pouring of first concrete for any nuclear energy unit in the European Union since first concrete was poured in the then EU member country, the UK, for Hinkley Point C unit 2 in December 2019.