Feb. 17, 2009
Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány announced that the government will ask parliament to vote in the spring on a doubling the capacity of the country's atomic power station in Paks.
The Paks facility currently has a capacity of just over 1,800 megawatts (MW), and supplies some 40% of Hungary's electricity. Life-spans of the existing four reactors are in the process of being extended, likely enabling them to remain in service until 2032-37. The reactors were originally scheduled for decommissioning in 2012-17. According to experts cited by Népszabadság online, doubling plant capacity could cost around EUR 3 bln-4 bln at today's prices.
Gyula Lengyel, chairman of state-owned Hungarian Power Companies Ltd. (MVM Zrt), which owns the power plant, said that a study of various alternatives for expanding its generating capacity is underway, adding that a new 1,600-MW generating block, the largest currently available on the market, could be up and running at Paks within ten years of being given the go-ahead.
