Manufacturing of Paks 2 reactor vessel under way in St Petersburg

Responding to a question at a press conference on another matter, Peter Szijjarto said the manufacturing of those components was a “milestone”. The melt trap will arrive in Hungary in the summer, ahead of schedule, he said.

The reactor vessel, “the heart of the reactor, is where the actual chain reaction happens,” will be 11 meters high and 4.5 meters in diameter, with a 30cm wall, Szijjarto said. It will weigh 330 tonnes, he added. The reactor vessel will have to be operational for at least 60 years “in 330 degrees Celsius, under 162 Bars of pressure”, he said.

The Paks upgrade is progressing according to schedule, Szijjarto added. The start of the new blocks in the beginning of the new decade will mean a great step towards energy security, he said.