Prime Minister Péter Magyar has issued a fresh update on the emergency works near Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Power Plant, saying the project is progressing according to schedule and that the plant is operating steadily. His comments come amid growing criticism over riverbed erosion, environmental permitting and the way the government has handled one of Hungary’s most sensitive energy-security projects.
In a Facebook post on Sunday evening, Magyar said work between Paks and Dunaszentbenedek was advancing as planned and rejected suggestions that the intervention was running into serious trouble.
“None of the scare stories being spread by panic-mongering hacks are true,” Magyar wrote.
According to the prime minister, the deepening of the riverbed is an expected process during construction of the bottom sill, while specialists are continuously adding material to the riverbed and strengthening the protective structure. Magyar said nearly 70,000 cubic metres of rock had already been placed as part of the works.
“The Paks Nuclear Power Plant is operating steadily,” he added.
He also said construction of a new port promised to Dunaszentbenedek on the opposite bank of the Danube was progressing well. Magyar had visited Dunaszentbenedek on Saturday, where he attended the local village day and met residents. He returned to the Paks issue with Sunday evening’s post.
Concerns raised over the Danube works
Magyar’s reassurances come after recent reports raised questions about the effects of the intervention on the Danube riverbed.
Átlátszó reported that the narrowing of the river during construction had accelerated the current around the unfinished bottom sill, contributing to significant erosion in parts of the riverbed. Critics have questioned whether the scale of the changes could complicate the remainder of the project.
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The government has rejected suggestions that the works are out of control. Magyar has argued that faster water flow and some deepening of the riverbed were anticipated consequences of narrowing the channel during construction, and that engineers are continuously reinforcing the affected area.
Environmental concerns have also been raised over the project, particularly about its possible effects downstream. The government, however, maintains that the intervention is being carried out in line with environmental and nature-protection requirements.
Works continue after first phase completed
The latest update comes just over a week after the first phase of the temporary bottom sill was completed across the Danube. At the time, Magyar said around 43,000 cubic metres of rock had been used in just 17 days, while the Paks Nuclear Power Plant had returned to full capacity.
Sunday’s figures show that construction has continued at considerable pace. Magyar now says nearly 70,000 cubic metres of rock have been incorporated into the river works, as specialists continue to reinforce the riverbed and the structure itself.
The prime minister also stressed that Paks is operating steadily, while work on the new port at Dunaszentbenedek is progressing on the opposite bank.
The project nevertheless remains under scrutiny over changes to the riverbed and its environmental impact. Magyar’s latest message was aimed squarely at those concerns, insisting that the observed deepening of the riverbed had been anticipated and was being addressed as part of the ongoing construction.
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