Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy giant Rosatom says it will continue working on Hungary’s Paks II nuclear power plant project, despite significant delays and uncertainty over the Hungarian government’s position on the investment.

Rosatom expects next handover in November

Rosatom chief executive Alexey Likhachev said on Tuesday that the company was continuing its work on Paks II in line with its annual production plan, even though it did not yet fully understand the Hungarian government’s position on the project, Portfolio reported.

“We continue to work actively and are proceeding according to the annual production plan. The next stage of handing over the work to the Hungarian customer is expected in November,” Likhachev said in response to a question from Russian state news agency TASS.

“We are proceeding according to plan. We do not yet know exactly what the Hungarian government’s position is, but we are working, working,” he added.

The comments suggest that Rosatom intends to maintain its activities on the project while Budapest reassesses the future of the long-delayed investment.

If you missed it: Reuters: Hungary could drop Russia’s Rosatom from Paks nuclear project

Hungary’s review could conclude in early 2027

No final government decision has yet been made on the future of Paks II. In an October interview with Hungarian business outlet Portfolio, Economy and Energy Minister István Kapitány said the review of the project was expected to be completed either by the end of 2026 or in early 2027.

The minister also highlighted the scale of the delays. According to his assessment, the two planned new reactor units could be completed no earlier than around 2034–2035.

The timeline represents a substantial setback for a project that is intended to expand Hungary’s nuclear power generation capacity. The investment has faced years of delays, leaving its eventual completion date uncertain.

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Paks II assessed alongside Hungary’s wider energy strategy

The government is examining Paks II as part of a broader review of Hungary’s future energy mix.

The assessment also includes the possible extension of the operating lifetimes of the existing Paks nuclear power plant units, as well as other options for securing the country’s energy supply.

This means that the final decision on Paks II will be considered alongside alternatives for maintaining Hungary’s electricity generation capacity in the coming years.

Don’t miss this: Hungary could lose EUR billions in compensation if Paks II project is cancelled, expert warns