Hungary — Keynote Address [International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power, Vienna (Austria), 7-11 October 2019]

The Hungarian nuclear programme is widespread. In Hungary, the currently operating nuclear power plant is the Paks Nuclear Power Plant which has 4 units of 500 MW(e) each. It was built in the 1980s and has an operating licence until the mid-2030s. Nuclear energy plays a crucial role in the Hungarian electricity system. In 2018, Paks Nuclear Power Plant generated half of the electricity generation and one third of the electricity consumed in Hungary. The annual load factor of Paks 1 is above 90%; no other power plant has an annual load factor as high in Hungary. We also have research and training reactors, like the Budapest research reactor, which is a lightwater cooled and moderated tank-type reactor with beryllium reflector, with 10 MW(th) capacity. It is ideal for neutron research and irradiation; it is also used for isotope production. Our training reactor is located at the Campus of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics; it is a pool-type reactor with 100 kW nominal thermal capacity. Additionally, we have a well-developed system for radioactive waste management (the company responsible for this is PURAM). Hungary operates a geological repository for lowand intermediate-level radioactive waste in Bátaapáti and extensive work has been carried out for the site selection for a deep geological repository, intended to be used for long-term storage of high-level waste and spent fuel assemblies.