Management at Paks has decided to extend the plant’s lifetime by at least another 20 years. Initial plans called for shutting down units at the plant between 2012 and 2017. The plant will finance the work using its own resources and loans, said plant director Istvan Kocsis. However, it will need to obtain a licence to implement the series of investments, expected to reach $500 million by 2008. Output at the plant is expected to increase by 150MWe.
A year ago, a technical and economical review concluded: “There is no technical barrier or safety limit that may restrict the operation of the Paks nuclear power plant for up to 50 years” .
