Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjártó, stated that the recent European Court of Justice ruling will not delay or obstruct the construction of two new reactor units at the Paks nuclear power plant. He emphasized that the court’s decision was directed against the European Commission, as it annulled an earlier ruling concerning state aid for the project.
Speaking alongside Austrian counterpart Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Szijjártó stressed that the Paks expansion remains the foundation of Hungary’s long-term energy security strategy. He noted that work on the project has actually accelerated in recent months, rather than slowed down.
Both new units are expected to be connected to Hungary’s power grid in the early years of the next decade, which the minister described as a critical step toward greater energy independence. He reaffirmed the government’s full commitment to ensuring the project’s timely completion.
The Paks II project began in 2014 under an agreement with Russia to construct two VVER-1200 generation III+ reactors. Since then, extensive preparatory work has been carried out, including site studies, environmental approvals, and submission of safety documentation. In 2022, Hungary’s nuclear regulator granted the construction license, marking a major milestone.
Currently, groundwork at the site is well advanced, with excavation, infrastructure improvements, and auxiliary buildings already completed. The long-term aim is to gradually replace the ageing existing reactors and secure a continued central role for nuclear power in Hungary’s energy mix.
