The possibility of using nuclear fuel from suppliers other than Russia’s TVEL at the Paks NPP has been legally enshrined in Hungary’s legislation. Members of the national parliament supported an amendment to the nuclear energy strategy proposed by the government. State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy Attila Steiner noted that Paks, Hungary’s only NPP currently uses nuclear fuel supplied by Rosatom enterprises.
However, to ensure the safety and reliability of its operation in the long term, and also taking into account the ongoing attempts by the European Union to impose sanctions against Rosatom, the government decided to provide options for replacing Russian fuel, if necessary, he explained. For this purpose, national legislation was supplemented with a provision according to which “a nuclear power plant may use new, alternative fuel from another manufacturer, in particular during the period of extending its operating life.”
The Hungarian government intends to extend the life of the Paks nuclear power plant. The current life of the four power VVER-440 units of the station was supposed to end in 2032-2037, but they are now expected to operate at least until 2052-2057. At the same time, the construction of the second stage of the NPP (Paks-II) is underway with two VVER-1200 units being built by Rosatom.
Source : NEI