Forum   Contacts   RSS
AtomInfo.Ru


Hungary Enacts Law to Expand Nuclear Power With Russian Aid

RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED 12.02.2014

Hungary’s president has signed a bill into law to expand a nuclear power plant in the country with Russian assistance following protests against the deal, the country’s MTI news agency reported Monday.

Hungary signed a deal with Moscow last month for a 10 billion euro loan for Russia’s state-owned Rosatom to build two new reactor units with a combined production capacity of 2.2 megawatts at the country's only nuclear power plant.

The Paks plant, 100 kilometers south of Budapest, is a Soviet-designed pressurized water reactor that supplies over one-third of the country's electricity.

President Janos Ader signed the bill after reviewing its constitutionality and concordance with existing laws, MTI said, citing a presidential statement.

The country’s economic minister Mihaly Varga said that the loan would be paid back over two decades following the reactors coming online in 2023.

The ratification of the agreement last month spurred demonstrations by protesters who objected to the abandonment of an open tender process and the expansion of nuclear power in the country on environmental grounds.

President Ader turned down a request by opposition members to hold a national referendum over the expansion plans.

Last year, Ader signed off on a constitutional amendment that was condemned by international leaders as a step away from democracy for undermining the country’s constitutional court.

Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi has insisted that the nuclear deal is aimed at strengthening the country’s energy security and does not represent a pivot in relations with Russia.

Following the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant three years ago, a number of countries have decided to curb nuclear power generation.

Germany announced two months after the disaster it would shutter all of its nuclear reactors – which generated about one-quarter of the country’s electricity – by 2022.

Topics: East Europe, Hungary


Other news:

Hungary Lawmakers OK Russia Nuclear Plant Deal

Russia will provide Hungary a loan of up to 10 billion euros ($13.5 billion) - around 80 percent of construction costs.

Russia to Lend Hungary $13.7Bln for Nuclear Plant

The deal was announced during a state visit to Moscow by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and was hailed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia to Triple Uranium Production in Next 2 Years – Rosatom

In 2015 we will reach 8,400 tons.


Hero of the day

Jerry Hopwood

Questions for Jerry Hopwood

We are currently working with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) on this approach, which was submitted in response to their February 2012 call for alternative proposals. We appreciate that the UK is in the early stages of their policy development activities and are pleased to be involved in such important work.



INTERVIEW

Yanko Yanev

Yanko Yanev
Unfortunately, we live in this age of narrow political thinking. Each of our politicians think how to survive, whether he will be the next convocation of the parliament or the government or not.


OPINION

Joint Plan of Action

Joint Plan of Action
The goal for these negotiations is to reach a mutually-agreed long-term comprehensive solution that would ensure Iran's nuclear programme will be exclusively peaceful. Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek or develop any nuclear weapons.


Search:


Rambler's Top100