IAEA Sees Operational Safety Commitment at Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Power Plant

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts stated that the operator of Paks Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Hungary has demonstrated a commitment to operational safety. The team also encouraged the operator to continue improvements in areas such as training on preventative measures and documentation to reduce the risk of human error.

The Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) concluded today an 18-day mission to the Paks NPP. The mission, conducted at the request of the Government of Hungary, took place from 4 November to 21 November 2024. Hungary hosted its first OSART in 1988. This was followed by subsequent OSART missions in 2001 and 2014.

OSART missions independently assess safety performance against IAEA safety standards. The aim is to advance operational safety by proposing recommendations and, where appropriate, suggestions for improvement.

Paks NPP, owned by Magyar Villamos Művek (MVM), is located about 100 kilometres southwest of Budapest. The plant is Hungary's first and only nuclear power plant, and it has four 506 MWe pressurized water reactor units that were commissioned between 1982 and 1987. Last year, Paks NPP generated almost half of Hungary's electricity.

The team made daily visits to Paks NPP to observe regular plant activities in areas such as: maintenance and surveillance, radiation work permits, and training, and to interview personnel. The 13-member team comprised experts from Argentina, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Russian Federation, South Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and United States of America, as well as three IAEA officials.

"The team was pleased to see that the plant was very well prepared and cooperated fully and openly with IAEA experts during the mission," said team leader Yury Martynenko, Senior Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA. "The managers and staff of Paks NPP are committed to improving the operational safety and reliability of their plant, and we were pleased to see many actions in progress."

The team identified good practices to be shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:

• The development and implementation of a monitoring and repair programme for confinement systems.
• The storage of geospatial information on plant structures and components and the sharing of data on different platforms.
• The development of software to predict potential initiating emergency events and the progression of events.

The mission also provided some suggestions to further improve safety, including that:

• The plant should consider enhancing measures to maintain its measurement equipment, includinginspections, calibrations, storage and traceability - arrangements to ensure plant and personnel safety.
• The plant should consider reinforcing its plant programmes and work practices to ensure that, in the event of an earthquake, the potential impact of non-fixed items on safety-related equipment is minimized.
• The plant should consider enhancing its processes, procedures and practices to provide personnel with the necessary instructions in the industrial areas of the plant.

"It was in the spirit of continuous learning that we had requested the IAEA review. The OSART mission has allowed us to make an in-depth assessment of our work. The recommendations and suggestions will help us to continuously improve the plant's operational safety, and thanks to the expertise of our team, we can also contribute to the enrichment of global best practices," said Péter János Horváth, CEO of MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd.

The team provided a draft report of the mission to the plant management. They will have the opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. These comments will be reviewed by the IAEA, and the final report will be submitted to the Government of Hungary within three months.

Background

General information about OSART missions can be found on the IAEA website. An OSART mission is designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. It is not a regulatory inspection, nor is it a design review or a substitute for an exhaustive assessment of the plant's overall safety status.

Follow-up missions are standard components of the OSART programme and are typically conducted within two years of the initial mission.

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements, and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

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