New Hungarian nuclear power plant could be built on fault line?
A new report casts doubt on the safety of the Paks expansion called Paks II. This time, the Austrian Environment Agency has pointed to the lack of earthquake safety at the site, including the current plant. The experts continue to question the suitability of the site.
On Monday morning, the Austrian Environment Agency published its report on the seismological risks of Paks II. Austrian experts still question the suitability of the site.
The presence of active fault lines is highly probable
The document was highlighted by Benedek Jávor, former MEP for the Párbeszéd party, in a Facebook post. He reminds that the geological studies carried out by the Hungarian side in the area selected for the construction of the plant indicate the presence of active (so-called capabolic) fault lines capable of causing displacement on the surface. Such a site should be considered unsuitable for the construction of a nuclear power plant in accordance with Hungarian regulations, international recommendations and Russian standards, Népszava reports.
Austrian experts already raised awareness of the fault line
Jávor recalls that on 15 February 2022, the Austrian and Hungarian sides held a bilateral meeting to clarify the issues Austria previously raised on seismological safety. The Austrians have already commented that the Hungarian geomorphological investigations provide evidence of an active fault line. This fault line is capable of causing surface displacement at the plant site. It passes both under the planned Paks II site and under the current nuclear power plant.
In their view, based on a proper interpretation of the Hungarian study documentation, there are geological formations that indicate a surface displacement of 30-40 cm caused by a magnitude 6 earthquake.
Regulations in force do not allow the construction
The Austrian experts pointed out something else as well. The Hungarian regulations do not allow the construction of a nuclear plant on a site where a surface displacement as described above is possible. At the meeting, the Hungarian side tried to refute the possibility of such displacements and the existence of a fault line, mainly by means of historical data. However, Austria did not find this convincing.
The claim that there is no active fault line near that has caused displacement in the last 100,000 years is especially problematic. According to the Austrian experts, this claim is factually untrue based on the studies carried out by the Hungarian side. The studies take into account the information on the Németkér fault line. The Austrians’ claim that the fault lines not only run under the site of the planned Paks II power plant, but also affect the current plant, could raise further serious problems.
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Source: Népszava, Facebook
Why is it that I’d rather believe what the Austrian experts say rather than what Hungary’s experts say?
I wonder if it’s because the Austrian experts are not under great pressure (from any Government) to build it, and have up and running ASAP at almost any cost.
Is it meant to be just a showpiece legacy of the current Prime Minister? Another “monument” (like all the sports stadia)?
Why pursue the second most expensive form of energy (and in this case, possibly dangerous, because, 1) being built by those who built Chenobyl, and, 2) the site lies on active falult lines)?
Nuclear power generation costs US$ 6,000 /kW (the most expensive being fuel cells, at US$ 7,200 /kW), while solar power only costs US$ 830-860 / kW. Wind power costs US$ 1,600 / kW, and geothermal costs US$ 2, 800 /kW. To the best of my knowledge, all three later options are available in Hungary.