Paks II, an operator of the Paks II nuclear power plant, has officially transferred the site to ASE, a general contractor of the project and a subsidiary of Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom. ASE will soon begin construction of the first out of 80 auxiliary buildings on the site.

The official site transfer ceremony was attended by János Süli, Minister for Design, Construction and Commissioning of Paks II, and Valery Limarenko, CEO of ASE.

Hungarian consumers should have access to cheap and safe electric power, and Paks II with VVER-1200 reactors guarantees that they will have it, János Süli says. According to him, project operator Paks II has applied to the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency for a construction license for the first auxiliary building, the general contractor’s office. Although the license is not granted yet, the company may begin preparations on the plant’s site.

According to Valery Limarenko, the parties will do their best to award at least 40% of contracts to Hungarian companies as provided in the framework agreement between Russia and Hungary. Local companies are therefore expected to take part in the project even at its earliest stage. Tenders are now invited to select local contractors to build auxiliary facilities on the site. Construction will be kicked off as soon as all necessary permits are obtained.

Before construction of the main buildings (nuclear and turbine islands) begins, contractors will prepare the site, build necessary infrastructure and erect auxiliary structures. The necessary infrastructure includes power supply facilities, roads to transport construction equipment and materials, and accommodation for workers, whose number will reach 5,000 people at the construction peak.