[REVISION HISTORY]

Hungary Paks II nuclear project review and investigation

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-11 09:21 UTC → 2026-09-14 19:25 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Hungarian government has initiated a review of the Paks II nuclear power plant expansion project, a major agreement with the Russian state corporation Rosatom. Prime Minister Péter Magyar raised concerns regarding the project’s economic justification, technical design, and adherence to timelines, specifically noting the lack of a closed-loop cooling system and the significant funds already spent on a site that remains largely undeveloped. While Rosatom has defended the project, claiming construction is proceeding according to schedule, the situation has escalated into a criminal investigation. Hungarian police, through the National Investigation Bureau’s Corruption and Economic Crime Department, are investigating a nearly 80 billion forint capital increase related to the project. The probe focuses on a payment made by the Hungarian state to the Russian contractor Atomstroyexport after the Court of Justice of the European Union annulled the European Commission’s approval of state aid for the project. Investigators are looking into suspicions of a breach of trust that may have caused significant financial loss. On September 8, 2026, internal Rosatom documents revealed that the project faces significant delays. While completion was previously scheduled for 2032, new confidential plans suggest the work will not be finished until late December 2034. This delay impacts Hungary’s energy security, as the original Paks plant is slated for decommissioning between 2032 and 2037. ~~Energy expert Attila Holoda has further criticized~~ In response to the ~~lack of progress, noting~~ scrutiny, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev stated in Vienna that ~~as of 2026, work has only reached~~ the ~~stage of two excavations. Holoda suggested~~ project is designed to operate safely even under hydrological conditions more severe than recent Danube drought levels. Likhachev reported that the ~~Hungarian state should consider renegotiating or terminating~~ foundation slab for the ~~contract to involve European Union partners, such as French or German firms, to mitigate geopolitical risks~~ fifth block is nearly complete and ~~reliance~~ work on ~~Russian contractors.~~ the sixth block has begun, noting the involvement of European companies in preparing French-made turbines.

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