Atomstroyexport, a unit of the Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom, started the construction of two new units at the nuclear power plant Paks. Subcontractors begun ground preparations for the foundations and the housing of the two VVER-1200 reactors.
The construction phase started after Hungarian and Russian representatives signed an amendment to the contract for the construction of the two new units.
Around 1 million cubic meters of earth must be excavated and removed in the area of unit 6, and this work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the autumn.
Last week, the amended construction contract for the expansion of nuclear power plant Paks has been signed, marking the end of the project’s preparatory phase and paving the way for the start of construction works.
There are several provisions in the new contract that will speed up the project’s progress in the coming period. Namely, the signing of the new construction contract and the transition to the project’s construction phase will make it possible to pour the first concrete by the end of next year and reach another key milestone.
In 2014, the Hungarian Government signed a deal with Rosatom, with a goal to increase the output of the power plant, from the current 2,000 MW to 4,400 MW by adding two more reactors. Under the agreement, Russia will provide a 10 billion euros loan for the construction of a new unit in the existing NPP, which is around 80% of the estimated construction cost.
