Rail transport being impossible due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Russians again delivered nuclear fuel by plane to Hungary. Péter Szijjártó said that in a post on Facebook after Hungarian media wrote that their readers spotted a Russian plane in Hungarian airspace early in the morning. Szijjártó added that the fuel was delivered by one of Volga-Dnepr Airlines planes.

According to Hungarian foreign minister, nuclear energy is crucial in the Hungarian energy mix. The Paks nuclear power plant provides 2,000 megawatts of electricity as all four blocks operate at peak performance. To do this, the nuclear power plant needs fuel – reported telex.hu.

He added that he arrived in Paks this morning.

The Russian plane crossed the airspace of Belarus, Poland and Slovakia to land in Hungary. Importantly, nuclear energy is not yet affected by EU sanctions. Transporting it is therefore no problem. Interestingly, the Paks nuclear power plant supplies 50% of Hungary’s electricity production. In addition, it provides 1/3 of the needs, so it is vital to have enough fuel on time, the minister said in his press release.

The last time nuclear fuel arrived in Hungary was on April 7, we reported this delivery HERE. The plane needed a special permit to fly in Hungary.

The advantage of its own energy supply is very important, Szijjártó stressed about the case. The importance of energy self-sufficiency is now evident after the Russian-Ukrainian war. This is the Paks nuclear power plant for Hungary. Thanks to this nuclear power plant, Hungary is less exposed to the effects of the world market, he added.

The Paks nuclear power plant was built between 1976 and 1982 using Russian technology and supplies.

Regarding its Russian upgrade, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told an international press conference after his landslide victory in the April 3 general election that Hungary has a general objection to the sanctions. But “since unity within the EU is important, Hungary approves of such measures as long as they do not affect vital Hungarian interests”.

Current EU sanctions plans “do not affect any nuclear energy component”, therefore the Paks project “could continue within the framework of previously concluded agreements”, he said. The project, the Hungarian Prime Minister added, had “suffered many attacks” without which the modernized plant could have been operational by 2023 and “Hungary could more easily overcome the current energy crisis”.

Source: telex.hu, DNH