Paks Nuclear Power Plant on July 31
Robert Fico is closely following recent events in Hungary and immediately met with officials from the Slovak energy sector, Világgazdaság reported. During the meeting, they identified an important difference between the nuclear power plants in the two countries.
“Statement by the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic”—that is how Robert Fico’s latest Facebook post begins, published late Saturday afternoon. The Slovak head of government addressed the Hungarian energy crisis.
Fico wrote that he was following the energy crisis in Hungary very closely and expressed Slovakia’s unconditional solidarity and willingness to assist its neighbor.
He noted that the possibility that the entire Paks Nuclear Power Plant would have to be shut down due to a lack of cooling water from the Danube could push Hungary into an unprecedented energy crisis.
At the same time, Fico continued his post with a noteworthy observation. The prime minister reported that he had held talks earlier that day with Denisa Saková, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of the Slovak government, as well as with Branislav Strýček, the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Slovenská elektrárne.
From this, he concluded that
the Slovak nuclear power plants in Mochovce (Mohi) and Jaslovské Bohunice (Jászlóapátszentmihály) are not at risk of a crisis situation due to the different technical solutions used for reactor cooling
and that they are operating at their planned capacity. In Slovakia, therefore, the truly alarmingly low water level of the Danube is not causing an energy crisis, nor are there any signs of one in Austria or Germany. Of course, the water shortage is also clearly noticeable in these countries.
On Monday, and possibly even on Tuesday, the last turbine—with a capacity of 240 megawatts—at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant can remain in operation, Prime Minister Péter Magyar explained on Monday morning in a video posted on Facebook.
Romania, too, finds itself in a difficult situation. While the situation surrounding the Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary is so critical—with a near-certain complete shutdown already prompting Brussels to actively monitor events—the Romanian government has devised a completely different solution.
According to the plan,
a branch of the Danube will be partially diverted to ensure the water supply required for the plant’s operation.
The Romanian government has allocated 7 million RON (1.33 million EUR) to carry out the work. The funds may be used for the procurement, rental, transportation, and commissioning of the equipment, materials, and technical devices required for the work. The funds may also be used for the installation of signaling systems and for conducting measurement work, and may later be used to cover restoration costs.
Related article
Paks Nuclear Plant Prepares for Shutdown as Danube Dries up to Critical Level
The plant provides nearly half of Hungary’s electricity generation.Continue reading
Via Világgazdaság, Facebook; Featured photo: MTI/Hegedüs Róbert
