Following talks with Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev at the Russian Energy Week forum, the minister said both sides remain “fully committed” to the success of the Paks project.
“Hungary needs this nuclear power plant, as it will raise the share of nuclear energy to 70 percent in meeting our national electricity demand,” Szijjártó said. “Hungary is a landlocked country with no oil or gas fields — nuclear energy is the best way to guarantee secure and affordable supply.”
He added that Hungary aims to connect both new reactor blocks to the national grid by the early 2030s. “We reviewed the timetable, and according to the current schedule, the first concrete for Unit 5 will be poured by early February,” he confirmed.
“This is excellent news — from that moment, the project will be recognized by the IAEA as a nuclear plant under construction, opening a completely new phase in the investment,” the minister said.
Szijjártó emphasized that Hungarian households currently pay the lowest gas prices in the European Union, and maintaining this affordability depends on the country’s nuclear energy expansion.
“As Hungary’s economy grows, so does its energy demand. To continue providing affordable electricity for our people, we must increase nuclear capacity,” he said. “By building the two new Paks units, we guarantee that Hungarian families will continue to pay the lowest gas prices in Europe in the long term.”
He concluded by stressing that energy affordability remains a matter of national strategy:
“We will not allow any international pressure to force us into raising household energy prices. Protecting the results of our utility cost reduction policy is one of the most important national priorities — and we will defend it at all costs.”