The third unit of the Paks-2 nuclear power plant (NPP) is operating at full capacity after it was reduced by half due to a malfunction, the NPP's administration said on Friday
BUDAPEST (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2023) The third unit of the Paks-2 nuclear power plant (NPP) is operating at full capacity after it was reduced by half due to a malfunction, the NPP's administration said on Friday.
"The third unit of the Paks-2 NPP has resumed work at declared capacity starting 1:13 a.m. (00:13 GMT) on January 20," the statement read.
On Thursday, the plant's administration stated that the capacity of the third power unit of the NPP had been reduced by 50%, or more than 100 megawatt-hour, due to the activation of a protection mechanism.
The Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority said later that day that the incident was not a threat to the unit's safety or the environment.
Hungary's only nuclear power plant, Paks, generates about a third of all electricity in Hungary, with the share expected to increase after the planned commissioning of the NPP's two new reactor units. The Hungarian leadership has often stressed that nuclear energy is a way to ensure the country's energy security.
The four units of the 500-megawatt Paks NPP were built between 1982 and 1987, and the 30-year operating lifespan was extended by 20 years between 2012 and 2017, to forestall their closure between 2032 and 2037.
In late 2014, Russia and Hungary signed an agreement on the construction of two additional advanced reactors. The sides agreed that Russia would allocate 10 billion Euros ($10.6 billion) as loan to finance the construction of the units.
