Hungary wants small reactors – The Budapest Times

Written by Rainer Ackermann

Hungary is entering into a strategic partnership with Great Britain in the field of the nuclear industry. This was announced by Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who held talks with his counterpart David Lammy in London on Tuesday.

The minister defined the concrete objective of developing small modular reactors (SMRs) in the near future. Both countries rely heavily on nuclear energy and have defended their current nuclear power plant projects politically at international forums. Szijjártó believes in an imminent breakthrough in SMR technologies, in which the British Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s leading companies.

‘In practical terms, this would mean that we could build small nuclear power plants on the size of a football pitch within two or three years, which would ensure an efficient and environmentally friendly energy supply for cities or larger factories.’ As a country without access to the sea and with modest reserves of raw materials, Hungary is definitely interested in utilising this new technology. The agreed strategic cooperation between Hungary and the UK includes the Hungarians’ desire to participate in the technological development.

In the press release, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry reiterated its regret about Brexit. As a result, the EU centre has ‘lost a large portion of common sense’ and the balance between federalists and sovereigntists that existed until now has been undermined. According to the opposing Hungarians, the forces that want the ‘superstate’ of the United States of Europe have since left considerable traces in terms of the EU’s dwindling global competitiveness and weighting in world politics. Hungary is therefore in favour of the EU having the closest possible relations with the UK, from which both sides could benefit.