BUDAPEST, October 28. /TASS/. French company Framatome will start supplying fuel rods to Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant from 2027, according to a contract signed by Framatome CEO Bernard Fontana and the nuclear plant operator’s CEO Janos Peter Horvath, in the presence of Hungarian Energy Minister Csaba Lantos.

Speaking at a press conference in Budapest, State Minister for Energy and Climate Policy Attila Steiner called the conclusion of the agreement “an important step in terms of security of supply in fuel for the Paks nuclear power plant. He recalled that the plant plays an important role in the country’s energy balance and that the government intends to extend its operation for another 20 years. For his part, Fontana assured that Framatome is ready to participate in the long term in the diversification of fuel supplies for the nuclear power plant.

Signing a contract with the French company does not mean abandoning the use of Russian nuclear fuel at the Paks nuclear power plant. The division of the Hungarian energy group MVM, which manages the plant, and Rosatom will continue their long-term cooperation.

Until 2022, nuclear fuel was delivered to Paks from Russia by rail through the territory of Ukraine, but after the start of the armed conflict in this country, the route had to be changed. Now the special cargo is transported by ship across the Black Sea, under the protection of military ships, to the Bulgarian port of Varna, where it is loaded onto a train and then transported through Bulgaria and Romania to Hungary. Typically, nuclear power plants build up a fuel reserve at least two years in advance.

The possibility of using alternative nuclear fuel at the Paks nuclear power plant instead of Russian fuel is enshrined in Hungarian law. At the end of 2023, Parliament supported the relevant amendment to the nuclear strategy proposed by the government. The Cabinet noted that given the European Union’s current attempts to impose sanctions against Rosatom, Budapest should take precautions and provide options to replace Russian fuel. The current life of the four nuclear power plants, built by Soviet specialists 40 years ago, was supposed to end in 2032-2037, but it is assumed that they will operate at least until 2052-2057. Meanwhile, the second stage of the Paks nuclear power plant (Paks-2) is under construction.