Hungary is preparing measures to allow the construction of US modular nuclear power plants in Hungary, in addition to expanding the PAKS nuclear power plant. According to Telex.hu, the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó announced this on Wednesday, informs the TASR rapporteur in Budapest.
Modular nuclear reactors work just like conventional nuclear power plants are only smaller
“Technological, infrastructure, financial and legal preparatory work will begin to introduce American small modular nuclear technology in Hungary,” Szijjártó said.
Modular nuclear reactors work just like conventional nuclear power plants, but are much smaller, writes telex.hu. Their big advantage is that they can be produced in advance in the production plant. The modular power plant can be assembled in place, so they can be put into operation much faster than conventional. This is a relatively new technology, with the first small modular nuclear reactor being approved in the United States in 2023.
A small nuclear power plant with this technology is already building in Canada
The head of Hungarian diplomacy said that the world leaders in the market for this technology, which is still under development, are American companies, including GE Vernova, who already operates in Hungary and whose technology licenses in Central Europe is granted by the Polish company Synthos Green Energy.
“A small nuclear power plant using such American technology is already being built in Canada and the Canadian authorities have granted a building permit. It is certainly a encouraging and even soothing sign for us,” he said.
Szijjártó added that Hunatom, which belongs to the group of PAKS II. and deals with the development of nuclear technologies, concluded with Synthos Green Energy an agreement to prepare the introduction of American technology in Hungary. “This agreement concerns the commencement of technological, infrastructure, financial and legal preparatory work needed to introduce this American nuclear technology in Hungary,” the minister said.
The only atomic power plant in Hungary is located near Paks
Russian company Rosatom is building two reactors in Paks II in Central Hungary, each with 1.2 Gigawatt. The implementation of the project worth EUR 12.5 billion has been postponed for a long time.
The only atomic power plant in Hungary is located near Paks, about 100 kilometers south of Budapest. It was built between 1969 and 1987 and provides approximately a third of the total electricity consumption in the country. The new blocks are to be replaced by two of the four reactors that are currently in operation. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán agreed on their construction with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014. Moscow also provided a loan of 10 billion euros for the project.
