Home

Country profile: Hungary

Summary figures for 2010

Country
Number of nuclear power plants connected to the grid
Nuclear electricity generation
(net TWh) 2010
Nuclear percentage of total electricity supply
Hungary
4
14.8
 *
43.8
  
OECD Europe
144
868.5
24.7
  
OECD Total
342
2 183.7
21.8
  

* Provisional data

Country report

General energy policy, regulation

In order to foster the long-term safety, competitiveness and sustainability of energy supply, the Hungarian Parliament has taken decisions on the Hungarian energy policy for the period of 2008-2020. Among others, in this policy the Hungarian Parliament instructs the Government to initiate the preparatory works for a possible decision on new nuclear energy capacities. Following the technical, environmental and societal foundations, propositions shall be submitted to the Parliament in due time on the necessity and conditions of the investment and on the type and siting of a nuclear power plant. Furthermore, the Government shall take care of the proper execution of the programmes aimed at final disposal of nuclear waste.

The nuclear regulatory body (Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority, HAEA) is under the supervision of the Government. This supervision is performed through a designated Minister independently from his/her ministerial responsibilities. In May 2008, the Minister of Transport, Energy and Communication has taken over the supervision of HAEA from the Minister of Justice.

Main events in the field of nuclear energy

The Paks Nuclear Power Plant generated 14 818.5 GWh (gross) in 2008 providing 37.2% of the total gross Hungarian electricity production. This amount was generated by four units as follows: Unit 1: 3961.3 GWh; Unit 2: 3 164.8 GWh; Unit 3: 3 735.8 GWh; Unit 4: 3 956.7 GWh. Since the date of the first connection to the grid of Unit 1, the quantity of all electricity produced by the Paks NPP exceeded the value of 320 TWh by the end of 2008.

In order to enhance its economic and operational effectiveness and to improve its market position, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant commenced an Economical Effectiveness Enhancement Programme (EEP) in 2005, principal elements of which are as follows: power uprating, maintenance optimisation, operating lifetime extension. The objectives of the EEP were accomplished time-proportionally in 2008.

According to the schedule of the power uprating programme, the uprating of Units 2 and 3 was performed in 2008. During the annual outage of the units the required modifications were performed according to the licence issued by the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority. After the outage, the power of Unit 2 was increased step by step and it reached the licensed value of 108% on 5 December 2008. Thus the nominal electric capacity of Unit 2 reached 500 MWe.

The electrical capacity of Unit 3 reached the value of 104% on 31 October. Following further modifications the total power uprating of Unit 3 will be completed after finishing the outage of 2009.

There is an ongoing activity to apply a new type of fuel elements. It is expected that from 2010 the new type of fuel elements with moderately higher enrichment containing gadolinium burnable poison will be used resulting in a decrease of the required amount of fresh fuel and the amount of spent fuel.

Preparation of the lifetime extension programme was continued in 2008. On 14 November, the Paks NPP submitted the Lifetime Extension Programme (LEP) to the Nuclear Safety Directorate of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority. The LEP presents the foundation of the conditions of the operation for further 20 years beyond the planned lifetime (30 years) of Paks NPP as well as the planned further activities and tasks.

Radioactive waste management

In 2005, after a decade spent with siting for a new L/ILW geological repository in the vicinity of Bátaapáti village (Tolna County), the Hungarian Parliament gave its approval in principle for construction. In addition to the already ongoing underground research activities, both the licensing procedure and the preparation for construction could be started in 2006. The competent authority issued the environmental licence in 2007. The construction licence for the surface part (central and technological buildings) and for four underground disposal vaults entered into force in 2008. By October 2008, the surface buildings of the National Radioactive Waste Repository reached completion. Later, the authority granted the operation licence valid for the surface part of the facility. The operation licence allows the interim storage for 3 000 drums (200 litres capacity each) containing low-level solid radioactive waste from the Paks NPP. The first contingents of waste were delivered to the repository by the end of 2008. According to plans, the first two underground disposal vaults of the repository are expected to be ready by 2010 and can be put into operation around 2011 after extending the operation licence to cover future disposal activities in the repository.

Source: Nuclear Energy Data 2009

Web links

Last reviewed: 7 October 2011