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The possibility of operating the VVER440 / 213 units of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant (PAE) for more than 50 years is being investigated. MVM Paksi Atomerőmű Zrt. It has published a public procurement procedure for the full feasibility study of the additional 10-year operation of the units, which has been successfully completed, it appears from the public procurement notice. Reading the details, it seems that
the power plant commissioned a complex study on whether it has a reason for being, especially at Paks II. in light of an extension of Articles 1 to 4 for a decade. uptime of your blocks.
The Paks Nuclear Power Plant began operations on December 28, 1982, and the 20-year extension of the units will expire between 2032 and 2037.
During the feasibility study, in addition to assessing the national and international legal environment, the contractor must compile, in addition to the quality assurance tasks, a study on the economic returns of the power plant 1–4. longer extension of the operating time of your units, what are the cost implications of the related developments and long-term operation.
Several possible versions of the uptime extension should be prepared in a summary study, but it is also a condition that together, MVM Paksi Atomerőmű Zrt. And the new units of the nuclear power plant, that is, Paks II. The availability of the capacity of the national electricity grid for the period 2032-2047 should be examined on the basis of its parallel operation, in addition to the assessment of the energy markets of the European Union and the neighboring countries of Hungary. The need for human resources for the implementation and subsequent operation is not a negligible aspect, which is also one of the objectives of the terms of reference.
They have experience
PÖYRY ERŐTERV Energetikai Tervező és Vállalkozó Zrt., The legal successor to the state-owned network and power plant design company, won the public tender with a net offer of HUF 54 million 990 thousand; A total of two offers were received, the other bidder was KPMG Tanácsadó Kft. florín. The main activities of the company, which is based in the capital but also has a branch in Paks, are engineering, architectural engineering, technical consulting, technical research and development. On the one hand, PÖYRY’s offer was cheaper in public procurement than its competitor, but it also supports the fact that it has significant experience in the fields covered by nuclear safety. In 2019, they received the MVM Paksi Atomerőmű Zrt. Qualification, which allows them to perform the activities of independent technical experts, designers, general contractors and technical experts within certain security departments, the Paks II. In the project, the company assisted the work of the Russian designer on a contractual basis.
According to our industry and interesting sources
There are no relevant and detailed technical-economic calculations and analyzes for the operation of the units for more than 50 years, as well as the necessary national and international legal studies,
therefore, the Index asked the winner of the procurement for information on how that feasibility study would be compiled (HUF 55 million net) and what would be examined. We have received a response from PÖYRY stating that due to their obligation of confidentiality, they cannot give an answer “beyond the information that can be seen in public”.
There is no possibility in principle, there is no decision
Due to the justification for the owner’s decision, a feasibility study was requested for the possible extension of the operating time, according to the response of MVM Paksi Atomerőmű Zrt. They added that, accordingly, MVM asked the nuclear power plant to examine the feasibility of further extension of the operating time, however, no decision has yet been made on the expansion of the operating units of MVM Paksi Atomerőmű Zrt. According to the power plant
there are many european and american examples of additional extensions,
“Which, of course, can only continue to be done in accordance with the expectations of the nuclear industry, while maintaining a high level of safety.”
A further extension of the operating time of units in extended nuclear power plants is not a routine procedure; This has already been told to the Index by the National Atomic Energy Agency, who drew attention to the fact that
there are very few repeat service extensions worldwide.
To justify a greater extension of the useful life, it must be verified that the state of the system components, as well as the state of the building structures, allow continuous operation with an adequate margin of safety. If certain non-replaceable components (such as the reactor vessel) do not meet the required conditions, no further extension is possible. There are many examples of uptime, either in the European Union or in the world, but
The National Atomic Energy Agency is not aware of any other extension of the hours of operation in the countries of the European Union.
It was emphasized that it is fundamental for the authority that the legislation does not currently allow a second extension. “Detailed examinations must be carried out to determine the technological solutions and investments that can be made at any time to have the equipment with the adequate safety reserves at the end of the tenth year,” they explained. It was also recalled that the multi-year work carried out last time under a program approved by the Agency laid the foundation for a further 20 years of operation. However, it is not the responsibility of the HAEA to assess the economic viability of a new extension.
We also asked the office about VVER440 / 213 type blocks. As they said, this type was designed in the late 1950s, early 1960s. Between 1966 and 1987, 21 pieces were manufactured and put into operation. Second-generation nuclear power plants, which also operate at Paks, were largely developed as a further development of first-generation nuclear power plants. As a result of further development, they have become cheaper, safer, and more reliable, thus still meeting the highest safety and environmental requirements. Over the past decades, second generation nuclear power plant units have proven to be safe and reliable.
Adequate security levels and up-to-dateness are ensured by continuous security enhancements and periodic security reviews. If they did not comply with current, fully modern national regulations, they would have to be stopped.
(Cover Image: Index)
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