New blocks being constructed for Hungary’s sole nuclear power station in Paks will result in 17 million tonnes less carbon dioxide emissions each year, a government official said.
Hungary’s CO2 emissions amount to 12 million tonnes each year, János Süli, the minister without portfolio responsible for overseeing the Paks investment, told parliament’s committee on sustainable development, adding that Hungary’s forested areas absorb about 6 million tonnes of CO2 a year. He noted nuclear power guaranteed electricity supply regardless of the weather. Wind turbines, he added, contributed 94 megawatts and solar power plants only 9 megawatts to the peak of 7,105 megawatts of energy consumption last December.
Opposition Párbeszéd said the use of nuclear energy should be discontinued in Hungary. Party group deputy leader Olivio Kocsis-Cake told an online press conference that nuclear energy was unsafe and the expansion of Paks was so expensive that it would never bring a return. Párbeszéd considers the credit scheme offered by Russia “bad” and the Russian technology planned to be used in Paks “inappropriate”, he added.