Press release on the lifetime-extension of the Paks NPP

Taking into consideration complex technical and economic analysis, the General Assembly of the MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd. (NPP) decided about the lifetime-extension of its units in January 2001...

There was widespread professional understanding about the fact, that the lifetime-extension and its authorisation may only be realised within internationally acceptable legal framework. Domestic regulations regulating the authorisation of lifetime-extension came into force in 2004 and 2005. The MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd. submitted its programme about lifetime-extension to the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA) on 18 November 2008, which was evaluated by the HAEA in a resolution issued on 19 June 2009. Subsequently in December 2011 the NPP submitted its request about the authorisation of the lifetime-extension of Unit 1, that was based on the realization of the programme formerly submitted and completed by modifications of the HAEA. Based on the request of the NPP the HAEA has launched the procedure to authorize the after-the-planned-lifetime operation of Unit 1 of the NPP. With respect to instructions of the authorities the NPP has permanently executed the work plan and the schedule that had served as basis for the lifetime-extension programme. Taking into account the modifications the NPP reviewed and occasionally modified the implementation of the before mentioned plans besides constantly meeting its obligations of giving information. In 2011 the HAEA prepared the work plan necessary for the review of the request and the background documentation and defined the participants of the authorization procedure. In January 2012 information and education sessions required for the standardized regulatory inspection took place within the HAEA and the regulatory review of the documentation started. Based on the more than 30 000 pages long licensing documentation the HAEA has continuously followed up on the implementation by reviewing the submitted process reports and realizing on-the-spot checks. The advancement of the implementation of investigations justifying the protection of the installations against environmental impacts and the activity serving for the systematic evaluation of the maintenance efficiency were controlled biannually. The management of the NPP was informed about the HAEA’s findings and in justified cases the HAEA ordered certain measures. As part of the procedure the HAEA held a public hearing in the assembly room of the mayor’s office of the city of Paks on 4 October 2012. The public hearing took place on the grounds of the law about general rules of administrative processes and services. The hearing created an opportunity for the interested parties to get acquainted with the object and the process, together with expressing their opinions and raising questions. The HAEA made a decision about the process aiming the lifetime-extension of Unit 1 of the power plant by evaluating the aspects and suggestions raised at the public hearing. The HAEA has supervised the process aiming at the underlying and justification of the opportunity of the lifetime-extension of Unit 1 for more than 3 years. This supervisory role gave scope for the HAEA to make a responsible and well-founded decision within the legal administration deadline. As a result of the procedure the HAEA concluded that the specified nuclear security requirements are met and the safe operation is guaranteed during the extended operation time. According to the decision the HAEA has accepted the NPP’s request for lifetime-extension of Unit 1 and granted the operation licence for an additional 20 years. The HAEA announces its decision to the parties through proclamation. The resolution can be viewed in the mayor’s offices concerned, at the headquarters of the HAEA just as on the official website of the HAEA under the following link. Budapest, 18 December 2012 József Rónaky