Key facts
- Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar cast doubt on a nuclear power expansion deal with Russia's Rosatom.
- Magyar cited concerns about nuclear plants exposed to the environment and not using closed-circuit cooling systems.
- Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev stated that preparation for Unit 5 of the Paks nuclear plant is over 80% complete.
- Magyar claimed Hungary has spent approximately 1,000 billion forints (€2.8 billion) on the project with little to show.
- The Hungarian government is conducting a full review of the Paks II project, including its financing and cooling systems.
- The deal, struck in 2014, was a signature project of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and backed by Russian state financing.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has raised doubts about a significant nuclear power expansion deal with Russia's Rosatom, a project previously championed by his predecessor Viktor Orbán. Magyar expressed concerns that nuclear plants not operating with closed-circuit cooling systems, and thus exposed to environmental conditions, are no longer being built globally. This statement comes as extreme heat and drought have reduced output at Hungary's Paks nuclear plant, which normally supplies about a third of the country's electricity, to just over 10 percent.
Despite Hungary's change of government in April, Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev indicated that the company remains on schedule with the Paks II project, stating that preparation for Unit 5 is more than 80 percent complete and reactor components are being manufactured. Likhachev added that Rosatom is ready for dialogue and has not received specific questions from the new Hungarian government.
Magyar challenged this account, telling reporters that Paks II was originally slated to be operational by 2024. He described the site as largely consisting of depots and "two large concrete pits," despite Hungary having spent approximately 1,000 billion forints (€2.8 billion) on it. His government is now undertaking a comprehensive review of the project, examining its financing and cooling arrangements.
The Paks II agreement, a cornerstone of Orbán's relations with Russia, was signed in 2014 and includes up to €10 billion in Russian state financing. Orbán had previously hailed it as the "deal of the century." The deal has persisted despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine and recent admissions from Orbán's foreign minister regarding discussions with Russian officials about EU sanctions.
Meanwhile, Romania was forced to shut down its Cernavodă nuclear reactor due to critically low Danube River levels, which prevented adequate cooling, highlighting the broader energy challenges posed by the heatwave.