PM Orbán: nuclear energy is cheap and climate-friendly

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán discussed the upgrade of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant and the importance of nuclear energy with Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev in his office on Friday, the PM’s press chief said.

Parties at the talks were in agreement that the two new reactor blocks under construction in Paks guaranteed Hungary’s continued supply of cheap and climate-friendly electricity.

They agreed that at the time of Europe’s energy crisis, nuclear energy played an even more important role not just when it came to energy security, but also in ensuring price stability and the ability to preserve the government’s scheme to cap utility bills.

The talks also touched on the

trend of European Union countries recognising that it was impossible to reach the bloc’s climate protection goals without a long-term investment in nuclear energy alongside renewable resources.

The parties also reviewed the status of the Paks upgrade project, and noted their goal to have the two new blocks up and running by 2029 and 2030, respectively, in line with the strictest Hungarian and international safety standards.

Friday’s meeting was also attended by Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, and János Süli, the minister without portfolio responsible for the Paks upgrade.