Paks plant upgrade project obtains permit for diaphragm wall construction

Hungary’s National Atomic Energy Office (OAH) has issued a permit for the construction of the diaphragm wall for the two new blocks at the Paks power plant, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjárto, who is in charge of the project, said on Thursday.

The permit is a “milestone” in the preparations for the construction of the new blocks, Szijjárto said in a video on Facebook, calling the diaphragm wall a “critical element” of the construction works. The diaphragm wall prevents an inrush of groundwater into the construction site and ensures that the construction of the new blocks does not disrupt the operation of the existing four blocks, he said.

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Once the final construction plan is approved, the construction phase of the project can begin,

Szijjárto said. The minister said only the countries that can produce a significant portion of the energy they consume themselves would be able to endure Europe’s looming energy crisis.

The Paks plant is “critically important” in allowing Hungary to take another step towards self-sufficiency, towards ending dependence on the international energy market and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the government’s utility price cut scheme, Szijjárto said, adding that the project should be completed by 2030.

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Source: MTI