Hungary's Paks plant cuts output amid control glitch
The nuclear power plant in Paks, central Hungary, has reduced its production by 160 MW due to a control system malfunction, as reported on the plant's website on Monday.
This technical problem affected the fourth block of the Paks plant, Hungary's only nuclear power facility. It was reported that a team of experts has been dispatched to address the malfunction and is currently working to resolve the issue.
The Hungarian specialist portal Portfolio noted that the malfunction does not pose a risk to supply safety because solar energy production has been increasing since the morning, resulting in a current surplus in the domestic electricity market.
40 per cent of the country's electricity from one power plant
A similar unplanned energy supply restriction at the nuclear power plant occurred previously on 24th April. At that time, there was a power loss of 110 MW in the third block due to a malfunction of mechanical equipment.
The Paks nuclear power plant, located in central Hungary, has four active blocks with a total capacity of 2000 MW, which covers more than 40 per cent of the country's electricity demand. The plant commenced operations in the mid-1980s, with decommissioning initially planned for the mid-2030s. However, the government in Budapest aims to extend their operation by another 20 years.
Russians expanding the Hungarian power plant
Currently, the Russian state corporation Rosatom is expanding the plant with two new blocks, each with a capacity of 1200 MW. This is one of the key energy projects of Viktor Orban's government. The total investment is expected to be around 12 billion euros, with 80 per cent of the costs covered by a Russian loan.
