Project company in charge of the expansion of Hungary’s sole nuclear power plant Paks has submitted an application for the construction of
the containment building for the first new reactor. According to the project company, the application should be approved within 150 days.
The submission represents an important milestone which is progressing the project for the addition of two VVER-1200 reactors alongside the existing four VVER-440 units at NPP Paks. It marks the first regulatory submission for a nuclear building at the site.
The containment building is the main structure at a nuclear power plant, housing the reactor itself as well as its vital coolant systems. It has a role in containing the radioactive materials within, while also protecting the reactor system from external hazards. The design for the VVER-1200 is 72 meters high and spans a diameter of 52 meters. It features two walls of reinforced concrete designed to cope with extremes of temperature and weather as well as earthquake, flood and even aircraft impact and nearby explosions.
The Hungarian licensing process involves an array of separate licenses. The project company already obtained permits for the connection of the two new units to the electricity grid, and in November, it gained approval to manufacture two reactor pressure vessels for the two units. Some 18 buildings are already being built on the site in preparation for construction, as well as a concrete plant and a plant for rebar assembly.
