Paks-2 NPP project in Hungary is objectively sound in all respects — Rosatom CEO

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. The Paks-2 NPP project in Hungary is well-substantiated in terms of cost, technical specifications, and implementation stages, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev told reporters on the sidelines of the Russian Union of Mechanical Engineers congress. "We have repeatedly said that we are prepared for any audit. It is important to understand that the Paks project is not political, and there are no personal agendas here. This project is being implemented according to international standards, under full IAEA oversight, and in cooperation with a vast number of Hungarian, European, and other regional suppliers. Therefore, it is objective. Hungary objectively needs it, and its parameters – cost, technical specifications, and implementation stages – are thoroughly justified," Likhachev said. He noted that Rosatom itself is interested in auditing the construction site. "We have a specific interest in this audit – namely, to expedite the implementation of the Paks-2 project. <…> What makes a major infrastructure project unique? The more intensively you build it and the higher the quality of your work, the cheaper it becomes. Any delay or postponement of certain decisions by the customer leads not only to extended timelines but also to higher project costs. This is simply an objective law governing any major infrastructure project," Likhachev emphasized.