On July 3, 2023, at the Paks II NPP construction site, the general contractor of the project, JSC ASE (Engineering Division of Rosatom) started works on the first phase of construction of the new Paks NPP units (Hungary) with the construction of the groundwater cut-off.
The construction of the groundwater cut-off is carried out in strict compliance with the licences issued by the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA). Following the construction of the groundwater cut-off and soil stabilization, excavation works and preparation for the construction of the foundation slab will begin.
At present, four power units with VVER-440-type reactors are operating at Paks NPP built according to the Soviet design. The plant generates more than 50% of the electricity produced in Hungary. The Paks II NPP project is implemented based on the Russian-Hungarian intergovernmental agreement signed on January 14, 2014, and three basic contracts for the construction of the new NPP. The main license for the construction of the Paks II NPP was issued by the Hungarian regulator in August 2022. The Paks II NPP with two VVER-1200 3+ generation power units will be built on a turnkey basis. This was the first time that the licence to build this type of power units had been granted within the European Union. Obtaining a construction license confirmed that the new units comply with Hungarian and European safety standards. Units 5 and 6 of the Paks II NPP have a guaranteed lifetime of 60 years.
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The works of the first phase began with the construction of groundwater cut-off. It is an engineering structure – an impervious wall – one meter thick and up to 32 meters deep, having two and a half kilometres in circumference. Its task is to keep groundwater out of the pit. The cut-off is also designed to prevent the groundwater level at the construction site from dropping, which is a critical condition for the safe operation of the four operating units of the Paks NPP. In parallel with the construction of the groundwater cut-off, preparatory work is underway to construct auxiliary buildings and facilities, concrete plant, warehouses and office buildings.
