The war in Ukraine has not deterred Hungary’s interest in the project to add to the four reactors already operating at the Paks plant outside Budapest. That it is moving forward is another indication of the close ties between Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “This is a big step, an important milestone,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijártó said on Facebook after the national regulator issued a license on Thursday after several delays. “We can now move from the design stage to construction. You will see it at the Paks site in the coming weeks,” said Szijjártó. He added that it was “realistic” that the reactors could be operational by 2030. The 2014 deal to build two 1,200 MW reactors at Paks, 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Budapest, will more than double the plant’s capacity. Built with Soviet-era technology in the 1980s during Hungary’s communist period, the plant is the country’s only nuclear facility and provides about 40% of its electricity needs. “This way we will ensure Hungary’s energy security in the long term and protect Hungarians from wild fluctuations in energy prices,” said Szijjártó. Russia is financing most of the project with a €10 billion loan to Hungary, which is paying the remaining €2.5 billion. EU member Finland canceled a similar Russian nuclear power project in May because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Hungary has rebuffed EU efforts to isolate and sanction Russia. While its EU partners are trying to quickly wean themselves off Russian oil and gas, Hungary has been granted exemptions and negotiated additional gas deliveries.
