Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant cuts output due to technical problems

One of the reactors at Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant is operating at only 50 percent of its capacity due to technical problems. Reuters reported this today, citing the plant’s operator. The Paks nuclear power plant has been in operation since 1982, and its four reactors account for roughly half of the country’s total electricity generation.

Hungary is now planning to expand the plant with two more reactors, an agreement it reached with Russian state corporation Rosatom. According to Rosatom, the new reactors are expected to start operating at the beginning of the next decade.

The Paks plant’s reactors currently use nuclear fuel from Russia, but last year the Hungarian government announced that Hungary would also buy nuclear fuel from French company Framatome starting in 2027. Last week, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said the country would begin talks on buying nuclear fuel from the United States to diversify its supplies. It will, however, continue buying nuclear fuel from Russia.

Hungary’s energy cooperation with Russia is frequently criticized within the European Union. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has long been known for his good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has repeatedly called for the lifting of the sanctions imposed by the EU on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Hungary is also seeking to continue importing Russian fossil fuels, which the EU wants to phase out.