Hungarian FM Szijjártó highlights strict environmental standards for battery plants in Parliament hearing

Hungarian authorities require battery manufacturers to comply with the strictest environmental regulations, just as in other sectors, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at a hearing of parliament’s sustainable development committee on Wednesday.

Battery plants must comply with regulations ensuring manufacturing activities pose no health risks, Szijjártó said, while highlighting the importance of protecting farmland and the water base, too. He added that battery manufacturing was “indispensable” for the electromobility transition and achieving climate goals.

Szijjártó dismissed “fake news” concerning the upgrade of the Paks nuclear power plant and said the first preliminary safety report on the investment was under evaluation by the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority. He acknowledged the importance of keeping the temperature of water in the Danube, which is used for cooling at the plant, within the allowed thresholds, but noted that the Paks NPP had originally been planned for six, rather than four, blocks.

Szijjártó said an agreement with China on cooperation in the area of nuclear energy had “nothing to do” with uranium mining or storage of spent fuel. Rather it concerns new technology: small modular reactors, he added.

He said Hungary was getting 4.5bn cubic metres of gas a year under an agreement from Russia. The government signs supplementary commercial contracts from time to time to ensure that gas is purchased at a competitive price, he added.

He noted that Hungary had started taking delivery of Azeri and Turkish gas this year in the interest of diversification. Talks are underway on buying Qatari LNG, he added.

He said capacity for delivery of gas from southeastern Europe was “not close to sufficient” and complained that the European Commission was not willing to contribute to expanding that capacity.

Szijjártó said Hungary’s economic cooperation with China was a “great opportunity” for economic growth and pointed to the dependence of branches of industry in Western Europe on Chinese products and technologies.

He added that he believed Donald Trump would also strive to reach an agreement with Beijing.

Szijjártó said 110,000-120,000 guest workers from non-EU countries were in Hungary at present, but there were still 70,000 unfilled positions. Efforts must to be made to fill all positions with Hungarians, but where that isn’t possible, foreigners need to be allowed to work, temporarily and within a regulated framework, he added.

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